Uncharted Territory

There's an uncertainty that often comes with trying something new.Potential setbacks and possibly failure may arise when you venture into uncharted,unfamiliar territory. It's a fear of failure that makes people reluctant to try something they haven't done before. Many people,especially as they get older,are reluctant to "step out of their comfort zone." Interestingly, the younger ones who do, are often described as being foolhardy or impetuous. Consider the following quote from Brandon Lee, "We reduce ourselves at a certain point in our lives to kind of solely pursue things that we already know how to do. You know, because you don't want to have that experience of not knowing what you're doing and being an amateur again. And I think that's rather unfortunate. It's so much more interesting and usually illuminating to put yourself in a situation where you don't know what's going to happen,than do something again that you already know essentially what the outcome will be."
Have we reached that point in our lives where we only "pursue things that we already know how to do"? I often wonder if another reason for not being more adventuresome might not only be due to a fear of failure, but the condition of laziness and/or complacency on our part. Yiannis Kouros once said that an ideal life was one that took risks and faced challenges.We repeatedly read where athletes grew and learned things about themselves, and ultimately became better people, when they went through certain obstacles on their quest for success. We all need to consider whether we are guilty of playing it safe and ultimately shortchanging ourselves of the varied benefits that can be gained from "going for it."