And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk more.

Jong’s aphorism flips the usual fear of risk on its head: avoiding danger is itself a high-stakes choice. By refusing to take chances—whether in love, art, career, or self-expression—you may protect yourself from immediate failure or embarrassment, but you also gamble away growth, opportunity, and the possibility of a fuller life. The line implies that “safety” can be a slow form of loss: stagnation, regret, and diminished agency. It also carries a moral edge typical of Jong’s writing, urging courage and experimentation as prerequisites for freedom, creativity, and authentic living.