I am 80% explorer, 19% bounty hunter and 1% trader. I play in Open when I explore because the chance of running into someone else exploring the same system as me 5kly+ out excites me. It's like going boating without a plan and running into someone else who is just as enthusiastic as you about the sport. Maybe run into a well-known explorer (I started late). Even when I return to civspace, I play Open because I need to remind myself that the Galaxy is not always a comfortable place and if I die, I have that much more motivation to go out again. I may lost the credits, I may lose the ship, I may lose the discoveries or the cargo.
I will not lose the memories.