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Friedman Fundamentals Discussion

The Economic Gains Of Risk-Taking

How can protecting individual rights encourage citizens to take risks?

Responses

Protecting individual rights and freedoms creates more room for individual interests. I believe this allows people to take more control over their own lives and pursue their interests. The more rights afforded to a citizen, the more possible avenues there are for them to pursue. Thus, when an avenue of interest or passion is discovered, the individual is more likely to take that risk in pursuing it. Having more rights is like taking a walk in nature: you can walk along a creek, climb a tree, or hike the mountain. The possibilities are open for you to choose what you'd like to do. When rights are taken away and there is too much control, the path is chosen for you, and you navigate through a maze where the paths have been pre-selected for you and you will ultimately have to adhere to the limitations of the walls that have been put up around you.

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