Thanks for another marvelous and thoughtful post @surfermarly!
Makes me wonder what "risk" really is? Is it always calculated and in proportion to something? The red flag on your beach means "danger" if you're holding a surfboard for the first time; maybe it means "pay attention" if you're an expert such as yourself.
A tornado is extremely dangerous, but to a well-equipped "Storm Chaser" who spent their life pursuing tornadoes... it may be "dangerous," but experience reduces the risk.
Different example: most people on the street think the stock market is extremely risky... but to a seasoned stock trader, it's a way of life. It's not that they dis-regard the risks, they just know what they are.
Personally, I am an information junkie. I learn things. And I do things others might call "insanely risky" because... by the time I do them, I carry an encyclopedia of information about "what might happen" with me... I might get hurt anyway, but at least I have a sense of knowing what's going on...