Fall back position

I was heartened to catch this quote from George Clooney in the article in the Boston Sunday Globe today. (Bold mine for emphasis)

Ironically, when Clooney left college to pursue acting, his father, Nick Clooney, a former Cincinnati news anchor, urged him to finish his degree in case his acting career didn't pan out. The single-minded Clooney responded at the time by telling his father, ''If I have something to fall back on, I'll fall back."

Living without a net, on the edge can be terrifying, challenging, and at the same time the most inspirational time. I have heard this from many other sources, primarily business entrepreneurs. To hear it from this source I thought was cool!

Does living on the edge provide inspiration?
I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.