got dark roast coffee, instead of the usual medium. wasn’t satisfied. Einstein’s coffee isn’t great to begin with, but the dark roast (still some kind of xmas-themed name) was really not great to me. reminded why i usually stay in my (well-established, well-worn) lane(s).

it’s not necessarily true, though. usually stick to established habits in some really key areas (places i go, daily routines at home and work), but regularly try new stuff in other, less high-stakes (for me) areas, like food, movies/music/books/etc. and clothes. though adventurousness related to clothes can backfire, which causes severe regret and wishing that i’d stayed low-key and nondescript. the kind of catastrophic consequences imagined when making the decision to not take risks in social/interpersonal areas.

suppose it’s worth considering that, when taking these risks in low-impact areas, it’s not uncommon (might even say it’s common) to be pleasantly surprised by the results. suppose that should communicate something about the risk/reward ratio in high-impact spheres, maybe encouragement to take the risks because there’s at least a fair chance for success/happiness/fulfillment.

but it’s not. apart from the drastic difference in stakes (having a bad cup of coffee vs. complete annihilation), also the matter of what’s being tested. personal worth vs., say, a cup of coffee or a beet salad. coffee can be good. beet salad, while it doesn’t sound appetizing, might be wonderful. thing being evaluated has the potential to be worthless or worthwhile. might be great, might not. two directions to go.