I want to amend my earlier statement with the following observation:

[xiphias]

The amount of fear humans in large groups experience is inversely proportional to the actual danger they're in.

Comments

[gingicat]

Until it's over. At least, that's how I react -- deal with the situation when it happens, get the shakes about 24 hours later.

Have you been to the library yet?

[cheshyre]

(Remember, it's summer, so closed on the weekends)

One of the books on my To Read list is The culture of fear : why Americans are afraid of the wrong things.

Unfortunately, it looks like Melrose's copy is missing, but if you leave early Danvers and Peabody have copies on the shelf. [both close at 5pm; Danvers appears closer to your commute.]

Re: Have you been to the library yet?

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the pointer, Lis; I just reserved a copy from my local library.

Re: Have you been to the library yet?

[drakkenmaw.livejournal.com]

There's an amazing story from a few weeks ago of a Boy Scout who got lost in the wilderness in Utah, who prolongued his own rescue by several days because he hid from the rescue parties sent out to find him.

The reason why he did this? His parents told him that strangers were bad, and they would hurt him, and so he should stay away from them. Thus leading him to run away from the strange men sent to find and help him, hiding in bushes and gullies, and enduring four days out in the Utah wildlands without food or shelter just because he didn't want to be "taken."

We're definitely teaching our society's children immensely-irresponsible messages.

[griffen.livejournal.com]

Stolen as a tagline, and I'd like to metaquote, if I may.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Please do.

[griffen.livejournal.com]

Done.

[king-tirian.livejournal.com]

And, when a disaster strikes, I think your prediliction for fear is inversely proportional to your capacity to respond to the tragedy in more concrete ways. I know people on 9/11 who pulled up their sleeves and went to Ground Zero to give aid, but I know many people who could only sit at home, watch TV, write a check, and fret.

[hangedwoman.livejournal.com]

Apparently for the British dry humour is a concrete response. Along with the tea, of course.

[mattblum.livejournal.com]

I think that might be overstating things just a bit. I mean, that would logically imply that the crowd at a baseball game (who are in very little danger, except possibly of being hit by a foul ball) should be deathly afraid.

It would also logically imply that, if there were a nuclear missile launched at, say, the D.C. area, and the public learned of it, the amazingly intense fear that I'm reasonably sure would result (I know I'd be pretty damn scared) would not be justified.