There seems to be a risk-aversion pandemic. Coming to UIUC, it's been even more frustrating than before. The smartest, most autistic geniuses run away from risk to the point of petrification. My cofounder's roommate, Shiva, qualifies as a musical-mathematical savant. In the last two days, he's put out more songs on Soundcloud (with my heavy prodding) than in his whole life combined. And he's wanted to do this for months.

They are self-aware of it, to the point of resignation. They study it in school. Many of them are even in spaces where their friends are taking some risk, but they still don't. This probably describes you.

I tell myself risk-maximization is the highest EV choice. It makes sense rationally but it requires an extreme degree of emotional "irrationality" to accomplish. I don't know what to do--it feels like I have a responsibility. I want to scream in their ears. But none of my observations are unique and they're already self-aware.