Topic: Culture of Fear

[pandamonium]

Didn't they have a guest on the SGU that talked about human's having flawed risk analysis? He made the analogy of a mother being afraid of her kid being kidnapped (low probability of risk) but let her kids ride bikes without helmets (high probability risk). I think fundamentally, humans don't have a firm grasp of what to be afraid of and when.

It's hard to think rationally when your amygdala is screaming and your adrenal glands are dumping a shit ton of adrenaline into your bloodstream.

[drwfishesman]

Didn't they have a guest on the SGU that talked about human's having flawed risk analysis? He made the analogy of a mother being afraid of her kid being kidnapped (low probability of risk) but let her kids ride bikes without helmets (high probability risk). I think fundamentally, humans don't have a firm grasp of what to be afraid of and when.

It's hard to think rationally when your amygdala is screaming and your adrenal glands are dumping a shit ton of adrenaline into your bloodstream.

can't you become addicted to that kind of state? Maybe people are just seeking the stimulation that comes from being afraid.

[pandamonium]

Didn't they have a guest on the SGU that talked about human's having flawed risk analysis? He made the analogy of a mother being afraid of her kid being kidnapped (low probability of risk) but let her kids ride bikes without helmets (high probability risk). I think fundamentally, humans don't have a firm grasp of what to be afraid of and when.

It's hard to think rationally when your amygdala is screaming and your adrenal glands are dumping a shit ton of adrenaline into your bloodstream.

can't you become addicted to that kind of state? Maybe people are just seeking the stimulation that comes from being afraid.

I dunno. I mean, there's the Adrenaline Junky meme, and I'm sure there's some sort of reward system in place that gives you endorphins when you fail to die from whatever it is you're doing that's producing a lot of adrenaline, but I don't know if I'd call it addicted.

Personally, I don't like the feeling of fear. I don't like losing control of my higher brain functions, and fear is one of those things that kills that part of my brain. I also don't like getting drunk (buzzed, however, is perfectly acceptable).

[drwfishesman]

Didn't they have a guest on the SGU that talked about human's having flawed risk analysis? He made the analogy of a mother being afraid of her kid being kidnapped (low probability of risk) but let her kids ride bikes without helmets (high probability risk). I think fundamentally, humans don't have a firm grasp of what to be afraid of and when.

It's hard to think rationally when your amygdala is screaming and your adrenal glands are dumping a shit ton of adrenaline into your bloodstream.

can't you become addicted to that kind of state? Maybe people are just seeking the stimulation that comes from being afraid.

I dunno. I mean, there's the Adrenaline Junky meme, and I'm sure there's some sort of reward system in place that gives you endorphins when you fail to die from whatever it is you're doing that's producing a lot of adrenaline, but I don't know if I'd call it addicted.

Personally, I don't like the feeling of fear. I don't like losing control of my higher brain functions, and fear is one of those things that kills that part of my brain. I also don't like getting drunk (buzzed, however, is perfectly acceptable).

I just remember in the Marines after a particularly dangerous situation, most of us would almost be giddy and laughing after it was over. My head would feel really clear and I felt almost euphoric. We used to see guys who just got jazzed up on those moments. Maybe it's not even comparable to what OP is talking about though.

[AxeGrrl]

Maybe people are just seeking the stimulation that comes from being afraid.

you mean like whoever's currently married to Gary Busey?

[pandamonium]

Maybe people are just seeking the stimulation that comes from being afraid.

you mean like whoever's currently married to Gary Busey?

[Plastique]

Personally, I don't like the feeling of fear. I don't like losing control of my higher brain functions, and fear is one of those things that kills that part of my brain.

I'm tempted to agree with you, but then I think of a good roller coaster, or maxing out a superbike.

[AxeGrrl]

Maybe people are just seeking the stimulation that comes from being afraid.

you mean like whoever's currently married to Gary Busey?

[pandamonium]

Personally, I don't like the feeling of fear. I don't like losing control of my higher brain functions, and fear is one of those things that kills that part of my brain.

I'm tempted to agree with you, but then I think of a good roller coaster, or maxing out a superbike.

Meh, roller coasters are alright. I don't know what a superbike is or how one would max it out.

[Plastique]

Personally, I don't like the feeling of fear. I don't like losing control of my higher brain functions, and fear is one of those things that kills that part of my brain.

I'm tempted to agree with you, but then I think of a good roller coaster, or maxing out a superbike.

Meh, roller coasters are alright. I don't know what a superbike is or how one would max it out.

[James]

IIRC the movie "Bowling for Columbine" describes America's culture of fear quite well.  Watched the movie a long time ago now so I can't remember the specifics, but I do remember it analysing the perceived danger people have and why they have it

[drwfishesman]

IIRC the movie "Bowling for Columbine" describes America's culture of fear quite well.  Watched the movie a long time ago now so I can't remember the specifics, but I do remember it analysing the perceived danger people have and why they have it

I remember that. When I saw that it made me remember when I was growing up in Georgia, my family always owned guns. My step-father would always roll his eyes at people who had guns because of some perceived threat. He told me at a young age that 99.9999% of the time (unless you're a dumbass) you will only use your firearm at the range and that was it. So get a gun you like to shoot at the range and become proficient at it and let other idiots worry about home invasions and race riots. He told me to not waste my time with worrying about something that would probably never happen and that a shotgun would be all the home defense you could ever need. He had been in Vietnam and thought people in the US were naive about real, wide-spread violence and tended to overreact.

[Citizen Skeptic]

Well, there's fear and then there's FEAR. It's like poverty. There's American poverty and then there's poverty.

We fear all sorts of silly shit that's just slightly short of the boogie man.

As for adrenaline, I love it. Heli skiing steep and deep, hanging off a 900 foot cliff, flying upside down in airplanes, dating crazy women (when I was young).

[Bunsen]

There is a term for this phenomenon specifically in communications and sociological studies, at least as it pertains to our tendency as consumers of media to over-estimate risk and danger due to media content.

It's "Mean world syndrome," and it was coined by George Gerbner in 1968.  I highly recommend reading his "Violence and Terror in the Mass Media."

[goodthink]

There is a term for this phenomenon specifically in communications and sociological studies, at least as it pertains to our tendency as consumers of media to over-estimate risk and danger due to media content.

It's "Mean world syndrome," and it was coined by George Gerbner in 1968.  I highly recommend reading his "Violence and Terror in the Mass Media."

I think I will.