I think that for some people taking risks is an adrenalin rush that they get addicted to. This can be very risky behavior like base jumping, adultery or leveraging your company to the hilt and buying new businesses. It is a behavior that is tied to a persons, for lack of a better work personality. Then there are those who are completely risk adverse who always play it safe. I don't think either of these are very healthy and the majority of people fall in the middle and weight the benefits and negatives of the risks they take and go with the one they feel provide the most benefit at the least risk. I also think that the majority of people tend toward less risky than more risky behavior and that taking more risks can make large improvements in both your personal and business life.