This episode’s vocabulary
Adrenaline rush
noun — a feeling of excitement, stimulation.
Outcome
noun — a result or effect of an action, situation, etc.
Gradual
noun — happening or changing slowly over a long period of time or distance.
Familiarization
noun — the action or process of gaining knowledge or understanding of something.
Life-altering
adj. — having an effect that is strong enough to change someone's life.
Grievous
adj. — having very serious effects or causing great pain.
To wind up
phrasal verb — to find yourself in an unexpected and usually unpleasant situation, especially as a result of what you do.
Vicarious
adj. — experienced as a result of watching, listening to, or reading about the activities of other people, rather than by doing the activities yourself.
Thrill
noun — a feeling of extreme excitement, usually caused by something pleasant.
Risk-taking
noun — the activity of taking risks in order to start a company, increase profits, etc.
Rush
noun — a sudden strong emotion or physical feeling.
Per se
adverb — by or of itself.
The former
adj. — the first of two people, things, or groups previously mentioned.
Level-headed
adj. — calm and able to deal easily with difficult situations.
Questions and answers
Why do people like dangerous things?
Well, all kinds of reasons. They might enjoy the adrenaline rush they get from it and being able to show off to their friends that they beat the odds, for example.
How should parents teach their children what a risk is?
I mean, the easiest way would be just to show them a risky action and discuss the possible outcomes. There are some activities with limited risk that could be good teaching experiences too. I imagine they can also tell stories based on their own experiences as part of this gradual process of familiarization with the concept.
What risks should parents tell their children to avoid?
Probably the really potentially life-altering ones that could result in death or some grievous injury if they don't take proper care to minimize the chances of harm. I mean, no one wants to outlive their kids or wind up caring for them their whole lives. Do they?
Why do some people like to watch risk-taking movies?
Well, there's always this sort of vicarious thrill involved, isn't there? You can see someone putting their life at risk from a safe distance, but still get something out of it that way, provided it's well shot, of course.
And do you think that such movies are becoming more popular these days?
I have no idea. It would depend on how you define the category. I don't even know how you define the category of risk-taking movies.
Why do some people enjoy extreme sports?
Well, for the reasons I mentioned already. That rush is a powerful thing. It might not be addictive, per se, but it's definitely enjoyable after the initial fear goes.
Who is more interested in taking risks, the young or the old?
Oh, definitely, the former. Kids are so full of energy and need to prove themselves, they just can't help it. Whereas adults tend to be more full of level-headedness and have experience that doesn't require them to prove themselves to others.
Hey, thank you, Rory, for your nice answers!
They were not terribly risky.