The speaker argues that people should not undertake risky action without first considering its consequences. This is good advice, but the speaker’s outline is flawed because it fails to take into consideration the fact that people rarely engage in risky actions. Even when they do, they weigh the potential consequences, making the speaker’s conclusion moot

People rarely engage in risky action simply because doing so is fraught with danger. For example, if an individual was driving recklessly down a narrow mountain road at 60 miles an hour, any passengers in the car would be in mortal danger. However, most people would not undertake such a risky endeavor. The mere thought of such an action would be enough to send them into the passenger seat. People don’t like to feel that they are risking their lives, and they would rather wait a while before acting. And even if they engage in such a risky action, they would typically calculate its impact before acting. For example, if an individual was presented with a $10,000,000 prize, but the winner had to win it by taking an extremely risky, life-threatening jump, he or she would likely not do it

Some situations are, however, so perilous that any attempt could be fatal. In such cases, people may indeed consider the consequences of their actions without considering them at all. For example, in war, soldiers are told not to hesitate when faced with danger, and those who do may pay with their lives. In such a situation, ignoring the consequences would be tantamount to treason. Such action would also be unwise in less life-threatening situations. For instance, a bank robber who enters a home where a family is sleeping and is confronted by the sleeping family would risk his life, but he would likely not take into account the consequences of his action. Regardless of whether the robbers are caught, the family may find themselves homeless. While the speaker is correct in asserting that people should not undertake risky actions, he overlooks the fact that some people may indeed act recklessly when faced with certain circumstances. The speaker’s advice may be appropriate for some situations, but its application to others is questionable

In conclusion, people rarely engage in risky action, and when they do, they calculate the potential consequences before acting. The speaker’s advice, while sound, should be modified to better fit the situations in which it is proposed

It is unfortunate, however, that the speaker gives only one example in his analysis of risky behavior, and this instance is of a soldier. Nearly every person who is raised in the West has heard the story of George Washington crossing the Delaware River during the American Revolutionary War. Washington led his cavalry across the icy river to attack the British. His men, however, were not as skilled as Washington, and many of them drowned as the crossing turned into a disaster. Had Washington waited for his men to prepare, he might have avoided the deadly crossing. Had the robbers who broke into the family’s home waited for the family to leave, they might not have been apprehended. Had the bank robbers waited for the family to fall asleep, they might have simply robbed them and left. The speaker’s advice, therefore, may be appropriate for some situations, but in other cases it is flawed.