[dusted]

I'm speculating that risk aversion is a pretty basic trait, and linked to your sensitivity to certain brain chemistry.

I have a low sensitivity to adrenaline, I need extreme stimuli to feel a "rush" in my stomach.. But like anyone, a good adrenaline rush once in a while is great.. Someone might get that from playing a computer game or watching a horror movie.. or trading stock.. I need to drive a race bike around a track at high speed, or downhill mountainbike or bungee jump or parachute.. When I get back from such a thing, I'm so happy, because I felt "that thing", and then I start reflecting on the risk.. "I'm not doing that again, it went ok this time but what about the next.." months later, I'm planning to do it again, because I do need to feel sometimes sometime.

I'm jealous of people who can get this from watching a horror movie, luxury to have it available, safe in your living room, as much as you want..

You might engage in some risk taking more often to desensitize yourself, even if low risk, but real risk, and it should be risk you actually take, not just simulate.. Just be aware that it's not damaging you too much. I'd not recommend gambling (or stock), because it could devastate you financially.

The real risk of computer games (which I do love) is bad health and obesity.. I don't believe you can become less risk-averse by doing entirely risk-free activities.

Try something like skiing/snowboarding/mountainbiking. These are still relatively safe activities, you have good control over the amount of risk on a per-second basis. Do it often, push your limits.

[cptcobalt]

> and linked to your sensitivity to certain brain chemistry.

Yeah, I align with this—I've probably spent a lifetime tuning myself for this.

I present to execs at work frequently and own too many projects for my own good. Peers have asked how I handle the stress..and I don't think I explicitly see or feel it as "stress". I think it's actually that I chase the high of the risk/reward response, and I'm willing to feel the pressure of the "risk" to see something through to the reward.

My second favorite game genre is the management/builder/strategy genre — it's just second because there's not enough of them. I've been playing them all my life, from Civ II on my first PC as a kid, and onward. I think they've kinda trained me for this. These games now feel like a walk in the park, even if I take a weird risk and lose—but as a kid the losses were crushing.

Strategy/4X/Builder/Management games feel like a bit of the same feedback loop, just different nouns and verbs from the day-to-day.

[ctchocula]

If it is a basic trait as you point out, I would suggest OP should look into a financial advisor. I don't recommend advisors to everyone, because it is more expensive than DIY portfolios, but having a financial advisor sounds like a good abstraction layer for OP. OP can just tell the advisor financial goals they'd like to reach and the advisor will come up with a portfolio with the appropriate amount of risk to reach those goals.

Given the timing of the post is in a period of economic uncertainty, it could be relevant to point out financial advisors are also good at persuading investors not to make big investment mistakes such as selling when the stock market is down.