Why You’re So Tempted To Do Something Stupid During Quarantine
Micro-risks like giving yourself bangs could be soothing your brain
Since stay-at-home orders have been put into effect, some of my usually-risk-averse friends and online acquaintances have been doing the weirdest things.
They’re cutting themselves ill-conceived bangs or completely shaving their heads. They’re making out-of-character impulse purchases, posting bizarre TikTok videos, embarking on ill-fated forays into experimental cooking, smoking cigarettes like furtive teenagers (even if they don’t really smoke), and going for bike rides wearing face masks but no helmets. I even have one friend who decided, on a whim, to give himself a tattoo with common household items.
As someone who wrote an entire book about how human beings approach risk-taking — The Art of Risk: The New Science of Courage, Caution, and Chance — I couldn’t help but wonder what was inspiring all these out-of-character micro-risks. I didn’t think they could be chalked up to simple boredom. It seems like there’s something about the Covid-19 lockdown that’s facilitating a little more risk-taking behavior.
It makes sense that, given all the stress we’re living through right now, and how cautious we have to be in our day-to-day lives, some part of us…
