A week in Canberra:  Unraveling the Social Psychology of Risk and Paradox.

By Larry Snead

The crisp autumn air greeted me as I stepped off the plane at the Canberra Airport. It is just turning summer where I come from (Iowa)10,000 miles away so this was a surprise for me. The city, nestled amidst rolling hills and eucalyptus trees, exuded an air of quiet contemplation. I had come here for a purpose – a pilgrimage – to immerse myself in the study of risk. To challenge what I believe about risk and grow in resilience.  I finally get to meet those I had only read or seen on zoom calls.

My days started early with a 7 Km walk with a SPOR friend (Frank Garrett), the sun casting a long shadow across the Tuggeronong Community Center where we met each day to learn. The 2024 SPOR convention was in full swing, drawing people from diverse backgrounds. I was about to begin a walk with thirty new friends in the art of the social psychology of risk.

What an opportunity. Rob Long, Craig Ashhurst, and Matt Thorne led us all on a journey to understand risk better. How do social arrangements shape our risk taking? What is paradox? What does SACRIFICE have to do with risk? What is Collective Coherence?

As the week unfolded, we ventured beyond the community center walls. Rob introduced a learning approach: Semiotic Walks. Armed with SPOR cards, notebooks, our cell phones and open minds, our group embarked on a sensory-rich journey to decode hidden meanings. Rob introduced me to Semiotics at the airport during pickup. My eyes were opened to new meanings and understanding.  SPOR principles are deep and they work!

Semiotic Walk

My walk at the Geotechnical Center, an unassuming building housing soil samples, rock formations, and geological maps was enlightening. Each layer of the earth held clues to ancient risks. Rob challenged us to see beyond the mundane. Sacrifice was embedded in the very fabric of existence.

Next, the Australian Sound and Light Museum. A unique building where history echoed through artifacts. I wondered amidst vintage audio equipment and flickering projectors, as I pondered the risks faced by curators preserving cultural heritage. What was it like to address risk in those days?

Finally, the Hindu Temple. The air was thick with incense, and colorful murals adorned the walls. Here risk took on a spiritual dimension. Sacrifice, I realized was not merely about loss; it symbolized devotion, surrender, and a quest for transcendence.

As the week unfolded, I wrestled with paradox in risk. Risk can be both liberating and constraining, a tightrope walk between safety and growth.  Despite people in many industrialized nations becoming healthier and safer on average, they paradoxically feel more concerned about risk and increasingly vulnerable to the risks of modern life.

What I learned at the SPOR conference is that as we challenge conventional notions of risk and safety, we should realize that accepting the worlds constant change – risk – is a form of safety, while resisting it may be where the real danger lies.

It is good to challenge assumptions about risk as this is the key to learning.

Adam Grant in his book Rethink, said “Learning requires focus, but unlearning and relearning require choosing courage over comfort”.  Choose courage.

SPOR has taught me that curiosity isn’t weakness; it is wisdom.

The SPOR conference was filled with learning.  I hope you get to experience it someday.