An astronaut’s guide to risk taking | Chris Hadfield | Big Think

An astronaut’s guide to risk taking
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To the average person, there appears to be a growing number of people who believe — somehow — that the world is actually flat and that we are all being "lied" to by world governments. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has actually been to space and has seen that the world is round, but is unphased by these so-called "flat-earthers." He flatly (pun intended) denies a global conspiracy, and says that perhaps the best way to deal with such willful ignorance is just to ignore it. After all, he posits, "if you wrestle with a pig, the best you can be is a pig wrestler." It's folky wisdom like that which puts Chris into another stratosphere of intelligence. Chris Hadfield is the author of An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything
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CHRIS HADFIELD:

“Good morning, Earth.” That is how Colonel Chris Hadfield—writing on Twitter—woke up the world every day while living aboard the International Space Station for over five months. Since blasting off from Kazakhstan in December 2012, Hadfield has become a worldwide sensation, harnessing the power of social media to make outer space accessible to millions and infusing a sense of wonder into the collective consciousness not felt since man first walked on the moon. Called “the most famous astronaut since Neil Armstrong” by the BBC, Hadfield, now safely back on Earth, continues to bring the glory of science and space travel to everyone he encounters.

Hadfield is the pioneer of many firsts. In 1992, he was selected by the Canadian Space Agency as a NASA Mission Specialist – Canada’s first fully-qualified Space Shuttle crewmember. Three years later, he was the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm in space, and the first Canadian to board a Russian spacecraft as he helped build the Russian space station ‘Mir’. In 2001, he performed two spacewalks - the first Canadian to do so - and in 2010 the CSA and NASA announced Hadfield’s third mission: commanding the International Space Station (ISS)—again a first for a Canadian.

Hadfield launched into space on December 19, 2012 and took command of the ISS in March. His multiple daily Tweets and photographs from space made people see the world differently. His accessibility, whether answering questions such as, “How do you wring out a washcloth in space,” via Skype or collaborating with The Barenaked Ladies for a song sung by nearly a million people simultaneously, endeared him to all while he orbited Earth.

A heavily decorated astronaut, engineer, and pilot, Hadfield’s many awards include receiving the Order of Ontario, the Meritorious Service Cross, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. He was named the top Test Pilot in both the US Air Force and the US Navy, and has been inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame. He is also commemorated on Canadian postage stamps, Royal Canadian Mint silver and gold coins, and on Canada’s new 5 dollar bill.
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TRANSCRIPT:

Chris Hadfield: When the very first balloon was launched that could carry people it was in Paris in the late 1700s and it was Montgolfier the brothers, they had hydrogen balloons and hot air balloons and it was the cutting edge of science. It was the cutting edge of technology. We just learned how to capture a gas like hydrogen that would be lighter than air as you could take a balloon and the first balloon rose and Ben Franklin was there and it was huge and magnificent, all of those scientists. And it rose but it got out of control and it went and landed out in the countryside 15 miles away from Paris and the peasants there attacked it with pitchforks because they thought it was an alien coming from space. The schism between learned understanding and scientific pursuit and the common perception of what was normal was that close just 15 miles away. It was an enormous gap between what we knew and what we were doing and what a lot of folks knew yet or what had become part of common knowledge. So there's nothing new about the speed with which we're inventing things and the ability for people to understand what's going on. There's a recent populous sort of wave of anti-science as if that's something new. It's mostly because social media has given everybody what appears to be an equal voice. On the corner of Hyde Park in London there's Speakers Corner and that used to be the Internet where yo...

[SeanTheDon]

Risk management is a core skill of life I wish they taught outside of Finance. Every choice we make should be weighed with a risk/return perspective.

[Bubblies]

I needed to hear this. Lately I have been too afraid of the world to do much of anything by myself and I feel miserable. I’m learning how to take healthy risks and it’s not easy. To anyone reading please don’t allow fear to dictate your life.

[Xpistos]

This man is a Canadian hero and a total badass. We Americans wish we could claim you.

[sarat]

This man is so intelligent & humble. It’s truely inspiring listening to you Mr. Hadfield. Thank you for all your service!

[traceydeakin]

Chris - brilliant. "The ride a bike" simple analogy runs parallel when Niel Armstrong first stepped onto the Moon (20 July 1969). That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.

Chris the next time I'm in Canada I welcome the oppertunutry to buy you a coffee a shake your hand.

[robertorojnic]

Superb video. Inspirational! Thank you

[fd_unger]

It's always so inspiring to hear the advice of Chris Hadfield, I'm just so glad we can do so on this platform!

[LordGroundhog]

Thank you sir. Thanks for taking the risk you took, which lowered the risk for those who will follow you, and thanks for the unintended reminder that instead of trying to erase risk from our lives (and our kids' lives) we do better to weigh risk against the value of the outcome.

Did I mention? Thanks.

[XenoTravis]

I wonder how they calculate the odds of dying for a thing that never been tested fully until that one time.

[andrewwilson]

That moustache was a pretty risky decision.

[zorya]

I'm dying to know why exactly those people dislike the video

[kourivi]

When I was a kid there was no one teaching me how to live, I born in Iran and I had a dad with many issues and I got beat a lot, I born in a country (Iran) always on sanctions and it was war when I was a kid and when I wanted to study first government kids could go university and have job but others ehhh, now I'm 35 I lived a healthy life for myself, I never had childhood you teenage years and now I have mental issues, all saying it depends but when you can have it and you don't know it's your fault

[carbyte]

Thank You Chris because I really needed it😊👍💓

[rogy]

i appreciate, respect and love this man so much

[Sammywillz]

I got a chris hadfield masterclass ad before this video... lol

[Rob-gpyb]

Thank you. Analogies work very well. The richness it will add to your life is a great tool for determining if what you are doing is worth it. Oh and don't be a passenger! It's not enough to jusat be a passenger.

Lately i've been full of hiding away, not able to take such risks...i want to but i feel i must become someone i am first. I can't do it while pretending to be something else.

[dahawk]

1:21 - That's a brutal statement regarding what you really care about.
You have a wife & three children. You assess the risk of you dying is in the neighborhood of 1 in 40. You say goodbye to them anyway. And you do this more than once. If I was the spouse or child of a shuttle astronaut, it would be pretty clear to me where I fit in with the ranking of priorities.

As for John Young and Bob Crippen, it's more understandable when your country is needing you to do this because of the Cold War. But that ended decades ago. Somewhere between the late 80s and the early 90s, the prime motivation to go became simply joyriding. And that's great if you're single. No one is depending on you to raise them. To teach them to do things like ride a bike.

[szbalazs]

There are so many aspects of life they don't teach us about at school.

[LeonidasGGG]

Sometimes I think Humanity is not evolving. Then I listen to this guy... And I feel Hope again.

[brendarua]

Thanks for the special perspective, Chris!