The title of this post comes with a few caveats, since the meaning of the word “better” is mostly subjective, if not entirely. But I think most people who have gone into business on their own probably enjoy the freedom that comes with it too satisfying to ever feel anything but constricted in a typical 9-5 setting, in which you have much less autonomy, and generally much less excitement. But on the other side of each benefit of entrepreneurship, the very benefits that make it “better” than a 9-5, are the risks that keep many people from ever entering this world in the first place.

“As an entrepreneur you have the incomparable thrill of freedom. Not only the freedom to make your own decisions and do things the way you want them to, but the freedom to work when you want and to make what you want,” writes Timothy Sykes in this article from Entrepreneur magazine. This is definitely true, but what makes something thrilling? Answer: Danger, and more specifically in this case, the danger of failure.

Comparatively, there is much less risk in sitting behind a desk for eight hours than there is in being an entrepreneur. While freedom and self determination are the big draws of entrepreneurship, this lack of risk is the big draw to a more typical job. They are the two sides of the same double-edged sword. People should be honest with themselves and should make informed decisions before pursuing either of these paths, since, clearly, both come with their benefits and their drawbacks.