13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success

Morin argues that mentally strong individuals distinguish between reckless gambling and calculated risk-taking. She shares the story of Dale, a burned-out shop teacher who transformed his life by starting a part-time furniture business. Dale had spent years avoiding entrepreneurial ventures due to a previous financial loss in real estate, but through therapy, he learned to evaluate risks systematically rather than allowing fear to dictate his decisions. His calculated approach—starting the business part-time while maintaining his teaching income—not only reduced his financial exposure but also reignited his passion for teaching.

The author contends that risk aversion stems primarily from emotional rather than logical thinking. People often conflate their fear level with actual risk level, leading to poor decision-making. Individuals can mitigate specific fears through strategic preparation rather than complete avoidance.

Morin’s framework reflects contemporary cognitive-behavioral therapy principles, particularly the work of Albert Ellis, whom she cites extensively. Ellis’s systematic desensitization approach—forcing himself to start conversations with 130 women in order to overcome social anxiety—exemplifies the therapeutic method of gradual exposure to feared situations. This connection to established psychological practice lends credibility to Morin’s recommendations, though her approach sometimes oversimplifies complex psychological barriers to risk-taking.

Morin’s analysis of how people miscalculate risks—from overestimating the risk of a plane crash versus a car crash to believing in superstitions—speaks to widespread cognitive biases that behavioral economists like Daniel Kahneman (in