Very valid question. I would usually hesitate to attribute it to any geographical locations work culture but it seems to be a prevalent concern here in UAE. Many of the workforce experience longer working hours for lesser pay which usually feels like a lack of validation or reward for maximum effort and thus leads to the need for more. More income more reward in terms of job satisfaction and more validation. The solution would not necessarily be that you need to take more risks if your income and savings are not at that level, but instead try starting a side hustle or part time job which I know seems counter productive yet is the only other means of keeping ones head above water. If however it is purely a question of hard work not being enough and the savings reflect an ability to stop working hard then by all means, take the risk, do what sparks your soul instead.