Thrill seekers and Fear avoiders

Seth Godin makes a point that some people are thrill seekers and others avoid fear. True. And he also mentions that some people fall in between those two categories.

He then comments on how important thrill seekers are for the evolution of companies. They want more, they want growth, they want change, and when they succeed at that you have a story worth telling and we may all be better for it. Also true.

However, any healthy organism needs both components to function correctly. People like Bill Gates and Larry Ellison love to boast that they are college drop-outs, even recommending that people stop studying.

But here's a question for you: how many employees at Microsoft and Oracle (or Google, Yahoo!, etc) don't have a degree? How well would any large company survive if you can't rely on the boring people (like accountants and payroll clerks, for instance)?

Here's my counterpoint to Seth Godin's excellent article: your reliable heart needs your adventurous muscles as much as those need the heart. Your heart will keep you alive and provide the sustenance your muscles need to take you places where you can find food, shelter, etc.

Healthy organisms (or successful companies) need both elements to cooperate in order to achieve long-lasting success. The trick is in balancing those two types of elements.

Here's to the thrill seekers and to the fear avoiders!