I once heard of this guy who ran after a bus and attempted to leap on just as the doors closed. He did it, and got in. But it could have ended so badly for him. He could have fallen into the road or into traffic. He could have busted his face open or his head. Oh, and the bus was one of those that came by every 10 minutes.
So what was the point of that? That was the definition of "high risk, low reward," if you ask me. Why? Just why?
But others are far more daringāor recklessāthan him or I.
We heard some people's stories after Redditor siiborg asked the online community:
"What's the most high risk, low reward thing you've ever done?"
"Moved across the country..."
"Moved across the country for a guy. Got married, now divorced, hate it here, no family."
pinkwahpul
So sad. Sorry to hear it didn't work out. Is there no way to move back?
"I swam..."
"I swam in the Zambezi when I was drunk on a tiger fishing trip. Still can't believe I was that stupid. For those that don't know, it's infested with hippos and crocs, known for taking people."
[deleted]
I don't know if hippos or crocs scare me more. They're both terrifying creatures and you are clearly braver (or more daft) than I.
"I once followed..."
"I once followed a young homeless man I just met because he wanted to show me where he was staying. It was nighttime and he invited me down into a dip in the trees. We walked through a dark section of forest then he showed me some rocks and small caves with a couple beds set up."
"Then we left. I literally followed a stranger into the dark woods because...curiosity?"
somebsthrowaway
Ummm... have you never watched a horror movie in your life? Get it together.
"I once climbed..."
"I once climbed an old truss bridge to get some neat pictures of myself. I climbed under it and sat on the beams beneath the bridge. I climbed the the very top. I hung off the edge of the bridge above several rocks."
"Once I got done and showed the pictures to my friends they said they sucked."
basic_wh1te_boy
Well, that's disappointing.
Made you think twice before attempting something like that again, didn't it?
"Taking a year..."
"Taking a year in a program I wasn't interested in to try and get a girl, who turned me down instantly."
"I wasn't horny, I was lonely. We were good friends prior, not so much afterwards as s**t got awkward; it was also my second year, so I did get a useless degree I never claimed for my trouble (social science.) So there's the reward, I guess."
[deleted]
Usually isn't a good idea to do something for a girl when you're so young and in school, but you live and learn, right?
"Climbing up..."
"Climbing up a water tower when drunk to find a friend. Turns out said friend was not even lost. He was yelling at me from the base of the tower."
CheekyBlind
Wait... what?
How?
Were you drunk?
"I started smoking."
"I started smoking. It has literally no benefit; it just makes me uncomfortable when I don't do it and when I do it as well."
MrMcQuestionable
There are thankfully resources if you are looking to quit. You can do it!
"My spirit..."
"Once my mom started counting backwards from 5, and I started counting down from 3. She stared daggers at me and asked what I was counting to. I said that's how much time she has to stop pretending she was going to do s**t when she got to 0."
"My spirit lives on to warn others of my misfortune."
The_Celtic_Chemist
Oh, dear. Hopefully it wasn't too rough.
"My friends and I..."
"My friends and I used to target and steal those signs that said "If you are caught stealing you will be prosecuted." Many illegal things were done and many hundreds of thousands of dollars of stuff was ignored to steal increasingly difficult to obtain paper signs."
Churonna
You're clearly a risk-taker and it sounds like you haven't been arrested yet, sooo... good for you?
"This was in the '90s..."
"My friends and I used to break into expensive looking houses and use their showers. This was in the late 90s when ridiculous showers were in vogue and we wanted to know if they were actually any good (for the most part they were not). We never stole anything (well, except water)."
"We brought our own towels and toiletries. We were very careful about who we "hit" and made sure they had set schedules and no children or pets. The reward was a s***ty shower. We risked jail time."
Smeggywulf
To say the least! Wouldn't be me. You could have left a check for the stolen water.
I think I'll stay risk-averse, thank you very much. It's saved me from jail time... and certain death. Let's just say no homeless man is going to convince me to follow him into the woods!
Have some stories of your own? Tell us more in the comments below!
Realistically measuring risk v. reward has never been my strong suit, fam. Particularly when it comes to relationships, and I don't just mean the romantic ones.
Ya girl's been known to go out on some pretty sketchy limbs for her friends, partners, family and work relationships - but even I measured my risk more carefully than some of the folks we're about to meet. That's saying a lot cause I once let a boss talk me into creating, maintaining, and doing the workload of two entirely fake people to make the company look bigger.
No there was no raise. Literally NO reward to this highly illegal (it was in the medical field, y'all!) incredibly immoral and straight up exhausting risk.
Reddit asked:
What's the most high risk, low reward thing you've ever done?
Here is where I'm going to caution you ... people do some absolutely bonkers stuff. Don't try any of this at home. It's probably not going to end well.
Curiosity Could Have Killed This Cat
GiphyI once followed a young homeless man I just met because he wanted to show me where he was staying. It was nighttime and he invited me down into a dip in the trees. We walked through a dark section of forest then he showed me some rocks and small caves with a couple beds set up. Then we left. I literally followed a stranger into the dark woods because...curiosity?
The Pictures Sucked Anyway
I once climbed an old truss bridge to get some neat pictures of myself. I climbed under it and sat on the beams beneath the bridge. I climbed the the very top. I hung off the edge of the bridge above several rocks.
Once I got done and showed the pictures to my friends they said they sucked.
DegreesĀ
Taking a year in a program I wasn't interested in to try and get a girl, who turned me down instantly.
I wasn't horny, I was lonely. We were good friends prior, not so much afterwards as sh!t got awkward; it was also my second year, so I did get a useless degree I never claimed for my trouble (social science.) So there's the reward, I guess.
Don't feel too bad. I had a friend turn down a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins because she met a guy at a local college when we were taking classes there to finish up high school. She decided to go to that college instead. Her and the boy she changed her life for didn't make it through the summer. 17 years after she graduated high school, she's finally, this year, graduated med school.
- gtg930r
Lost In The Towers
Climbing up a water tower when drunk to find a friend. Turns out said friend was not even lost. He was yelling at me from the base of the tower.
Oh, that reminds me.
We got the bright idea to go rappelling off a cell tower at like 3 in the morning. This was not a spur of the moment decision, it was planned. After we were done we were pulling the rope down and I guess we had left a knot in it? Rope gets stuck between the towers vertical and horizontal supports about 15' out from the ladder we were using.
Like it was stuck. At least 50' off the ground.
I wasn't about to leave my $100 climbing rope hanging there so I climbed up... No rope... and walked out on this 15' crossmember balancing with nothing to hold on to. Made it to the vertical support where the rope was caught, kicked it down, and then had to make it back to the ladder.
Obviously I succeeded but about 30 minutes after I got down I had the worst stress headache I've ever had in my life. I was puking my head hurt so bad.
I think I was 16 or 17 at the time. It wasn't even that fun... a rock face is much better than just hanging in empty space and sliding down the rope.
Crocs & Hippos
GiphyI swam in the Zambezi when I was drunk on a tiger fishing trip. Still can't believe I was that stupid. For those that don't know, its infested with hippos and crocs, known for taking people.
Smoking
I started smoking. Like wtf is this stupid sht?
It has literally no benefit; it just makes me uncomfortable when I don't do it and when I do it as well.
That's the thought that got me through quitting smoking: literally the only thing that it did was temporarily make me stop craving it. Other drugs at least offer a reason for people to take them, like they feel good or help you relax. Not cigarettes, though. You're always in one of three states - smoking, feeling normal for half an hour, or wishing you were smoking. What a way to live, huh?
It's such a stupid damned habit, and so hard to quit. But really, think about that on your next smoke break: is this making you feel good, or just temporarily relaxed because the craving has stopped for a few minutes? Getting in that mindset helped me a lot when I stopped.
Get To Zero
Once my mom started counting backwards from 5, and I started counting down from 3. She stared daggers at me and asked what I was counting to. I said that's how much time she has to stop pretending she was going to do shit when she got to 0.
My spirit lives on to warn others of my misfortune.
Near-Swan-Dive-Experience
Whilst building a house, the second floor had an I beam that extended our into nowhere that needed to be painted with rust protection paint. The floor had not been installed yet and the joists were still going in. To save time, I shimmied out to the end of the beam and started painting. Every bit of wind made the whole thing sway. Just my movements made it wiggle a fair bit. Nearly took a six meter swan dive to a concrete floor about 12 times. I could have painted it after the floor was in but that would mean laying down drop sheets and lots of messing around. Should have waited. Was a totally stupid thing to do.
Paper Signs
My friends and I used to target and steal those signs that said "If you are caught stealing you will be prosecuted". Many illegal things were done and many hundreds of thousands of dollars of stuff was ignored to steal increasingly difficult to obtain paper signs.
- Churonna
Do you have something to confess to George? Text "Secrets" or "" to +1 (310) 299-9390 to talk to him about it.