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Recklessness (psychology)

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Recklessness (also called unchariness) is disregard for or indifference to the dangers of a situation or for the consequences of one's actions, as in deciding to act without stopping to think beforehand. Aristotle considered such rashness as one end (excessive) of a continuum, with courage as the mean, cowardice as the deficit vice.[1] Recklessness has been linked to antisocial personality disorder.[2]

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Origins

"Reck" is a regard or reckoning, particularly of a situation. A reckless individual would engage in an activity without concern for its after-effects. It can in certain cases be seen as heroic—for example, the soldier fearlessly charging into battle, with no care for his own safety, has a revered status and military rank among some. However, recklessness is more commonly regarded as a vice—this same soldier may be a liability to his own side, or get himself killed for no benefit—and may be the product of a death wish.[3]

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Motivation

The driving-force behind recklessness may be a need to test fate—an attempt to bolster a sense of omnipotence or of special privileges.[4]

Or it may be due to a loss of the feeling of anxiety,[5] to a denial of it,[6] or to an attempt to overcompensate for it.[7]

Similarly dare-devils may overcompensate for an inhibited aggressiveness, while narcissists may enjoy a feeling that nothing can happen to them,[8] similar to what Aristotle termed the maniac.[9]

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Bravery

Recklessness is often contrasted from bravery.[by whom?] Although the two could sometimes be connected, the latter is usually applied to cases where a person displays a more reasonable reckoning of the inherent danger, rather than none at all.[citation needed]

See also

References

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