recklessness / carefreeness
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recklessness
Behavior in which one acts carelessly and without thinking about possible dangers or negative consequences.
Aus reinem Leichtsinn überquerte er die Straße bei roter Ampel.
Out of sheer recklessness, he crossed the street while the light was red.
'Leichtsinn' consists of 'leicht' (light) and 'Sinn' (mind/sense). It describes a state in which the mind or thoughts are 'leicht' (light), meaning not heavy or deep. This can mean both recklessness and carefreeness.
Sein Leichtsinn im Umgang mit Geld führte zu großen Problemen.
His recklessness with money led to major problems.
As an abstract noun describing a quality or behavior, 'Leichtsinn' is used almost exclusively in the singular. A plural form practically does not exist.
Der Bergführer warnte die Touristen vor Leichtsinn.
The mountain guide warned the tourists against recklessness.
When 'Leichtsinn' (recklessness) explains the reason for a careless action, this is very often expressed with the preposition 'aus' (out of). The phrase 'aus Leichtsinn' (out of recklessness) is a fixed collocation.
Er hat aus Leichtsinn seine Passwörter auf einem Zettel notiert.
Out of recklessness, he wrote his passwords down on a piece of paper.
You can often recognize the positive meaning of 'Leichtsinn' (carefreeness) by its combination with 'jugendlich' (youthful). The phrase 'jugendlicher Leichtsinn' (youthful carefreeness) describes a typical carefree attitude of young people.
Mit jugendlichem Leichtsinn glaubten sie, alle Probleme der Welt lösen zu können.
With youthful carefreeness, they believed they could solve all the problems of the world.
caution
'die Vorsicht' and 'der Leichtsinn' are clear opposites. With 'Vorsicht', you think about risks and act attentively so that nothing bad happens. With 'Leichtsinn', you act carelessly and do not think enough about possible consequences. So 'Vorsicht' fits when someone takes dangers seriously. 'Leichtsinn' fits when someone is too carefree and takes a risk as a result.
Ohne Helm mit dem Fahrrad bergab zu fahren, ist reiner Leichtsinn.
Riding a bike downhill without a helmet is sheer recklessness.
Beim Wandern in den Bergen ist Vorsicht sehr wichtig.
When hiking in the mountains, caution is very important.