In the Time magazine cover story, "Why We Worry About the Wrong Things", author Jeffrey Kluger writes, " We pride ourselves on being the only species that understands the concept of risk, yet we have a confounding habit of worrying about mere possibilities while ignoring probabilities, building barricades against perceived dangers while leaving ourselves exposed to real ones. Six Muslims traveling from a religious conference were thrown off a plane last week in Minneapolis, Minn., even as unscreened cargo continues to stream into ports on both coasts. Shoppers still look askance at a bag of spinach for fear of E. coli bacteria while filling their carts with fat-sodden French fries and salt-crusted nachos. We put filters on faucets, install air ionizers in our homes and lather ourselves with antibacterial soap. "We used to measure contaminants down to the parts per million," says Dan McGinn, a former Capitol Hill staff member and now a private risk consultant. "Now it's parts per billion."At the same time, 20% of all adults still smoke; nearly 20% of drivers and more than 30% of backseat passengers don't use seat belts; two-thirds of us are overweight or obese. We dash across the street against the light and build our homes in hurricane-prone areas--and when they're demolished by a storm, we rebuild in the same spot. Sensible calculation of real-world risks is a multidimensional math problem that sometimes seems entirely beyond us. And while it may be true that it's something we'll never do exceptionally well, it's almost certainly something we can learn to do better."
Watch Stephen Colbert's spoof on our tendency toward irrational fears in his report on the "Summer of the coconut" on the Daily show
What are some of the reasons, according to Kluger, that we "worry about possibilities while ignoring probabilities"? Do you find yourself falling victim to these errors of thinking and reasoning? Give examples from your own experience.
According to Kluger, part of the core reason that we worry so much more than we really need is that our prehistoric brain is functioning in the modern times. Since fear travels through the amygdala and then triggers fight-or-flight reaction, while it takes the upper regions longer to recieve any signal of real danger.But the nerve signals travel faster from the amygdala to the upper regions and slower coming back down. Thus setting off the internal alarm is easy to set off , yet shutting it down and stopping the worry takes longer.
ReplyDeleteAnother important part is that our society talks about threats and dangers we may have to face through our media, rumors,and news broadcasts.These experienes daily make us more anxious and impact our precision in calculating the true probability of terrible events actually happening to us.
In conclusion, I think we need to just relax and enjoy our lives in the moment. Living in worry is no way to live your life. WHen I get stressed or worried I just have to remind myself to value the important and simple things in life, because those are what really count to live happily!
Jayne Jaderholm 6th hour
I am guilty of falling victim to these errors of reasoning. I have irrational fears and can be quite a jumpy person. Kluger explains why these fears can happen in a rational way: our prehistoric brains functioning in our modern world.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the amygdala (which triggers the fight-or-flight response) reacts the most dramatically and pumps adrenaline into the bloodstream before the higher brain regions can sort out the reality of the danger, explains this jumpiness. It makes sense now why it is much easier to set off the alarm and harder to shut it down. It always takes some deep breaths to return back to a normal state after an adrenaline rush.
I also found it interesting how natural these responses are from an evolutionary standpoint. It makes sense that rewards came to those who would fight and take risks in pursuing prey or a mate.
I also fall error to fearing things I have no control over. When things are out of my hands, it can make me quite nervous. I just need to remember to think logically. Like Colbert explains in his spoof about falling coconuts vs. shark attacks, many things people are afraid of are simply irrational.
Mary Trimeloni
Period 6
Kruger states that "we worry about the possibilites while ignoring the probabilities," meaning that we worry more about the things that could happen than the things that are more likely to happen. For example, many are scared to fly in an airpane because of the possibility of the plane crashing, so they choose to drive. In reality, it is more probable to get in a car crash than in plane crash.
ReplyDeleteI find myself victim to much of what Kruger talks about. I don't go too far out into the ocean because I am scared of getting attacked by a shark. I worry about rollercoasters and theme parks after hearing about the girl that got her foot cut off from a certain ride. We all worry about the many things that can supposedly cause cancer when in reality most of them will not do so.
Kruger has several reasons for why we worry about such irrational things. He explains that our amygdala has the first, and most dramatic response to potential dangers, and it is no until a few seconds later that the reasoning areas of the brain respond. It is the small time difference that causes us to experience the fear more srongly than the logic. Kruger also contributes our responses to evolution. By being mindful of potential dangers, we are more likely to succeed in living to pass on our genes.Lastly, he contributes some of our repsonse to habituation. We tend to fear an unfamiliar threat more than one that we have been aware of for some time. Although I do worry about many things that I shouldn't, I feel as though, at the risk of sounding pessimistic, we are all going to die eventually, and we want to make sure we spend more of our time living, not worrying.
Amy Johnson
1st Hour
Kruger does a good job explaining how our brain affects how we percieve risk, he puts it in a way that is ismple to understand. Our brain justis 'prehistoric' in the sense that even though we live in a predator-free environment, our central nervous system hasn't eveolved nearly as fast. He also points out that the amygdlala reacts too dramatically before we have the chance to prcess the situation and pumps adrenaline right away. I know that I have this reaction with spiders and sharks. Even though it is very unlikely for me to get injured by them they still scare me. I used to be afraid of rollercoasters, but I was eventually able to change, in a way, the way I percieved them and just thought about how unlikely it was for me to get killed by them. I also thought it was really interesting when he talked about the 'optimism bias', I know I definately think sometimes certain risks appy to other people and not to me.
ReplyDeleteTara Dunseith
Period 1
When Kruger said, "we worry about the possibilites while ignoring the probabilities" he meant we worry more about things that could possibly happen than things that are more likely to happen. Kruger explains that we do this because our brain is set in prehistoric times but we live in a modern world. Since the Amygdala senses fear and triggers the fight-or-flight response, it reacts in a dramatic way and pumps adrenaline into the bloodstream. This all happens before the higher brain regions can sort what the danger really is and makes up feel antsy.
ReplyDeleteI have fallen victim to what Kruger says. For example, im scared to go tanning because it can cause cancer. But really if you go tanning in moderation you are not likely to get skin cancer.
Sarah Goes-Platz
1st hour
Kruger explains that part of the reason we have trouble evaluating risk is because our prehistoric brains are working in a modern world. Our brains are wired to worry about things that could have killed us like heights, snakes etc. We also worry more about things that we dont have any control over. For example, most people are more afraid to fly than to drive because they are trusting their lives to someone else when they fly. Lastly, we fear things that are more prolonged and will be more painful. We worry about terrorist attacks and aids more than dying from a heart attack.
ReplyDeleteI have definitely fallen victim to what Kruger has explained. I don't usually think about risks that will happen in the future from things that you eat or being exposed to the sun. These risks are not as real to me because they are not in my immediate future. I also have a fear of spiders which are mostly harmless but probably comes from my prehistoric brain at work. I don't think twice when I drive my car every single day but am always nervous before my plane takes off and lands.
Stef Tollefsen
3rd hour
Brett Ekblad - P1
ReplyDeleteKruger says that we worry about the possibilities while ignoring the probabilities. This means that we worry about the things that might happen instead of the things that are most likely to happen. For example, a lot of people are scared of heights so they may stay on low ground. But, the truth is that there are just as many, if not more, dangers on the ground than there are being up higher. What Kruger talks about seems to surface in us all. I know that I would be an example. I am scared of eating food that may be a few days past the date on the box. When at the same time, I will eat food that is very unhealthy. In a more universal sense, we all worry about stupid things. That may be a crude way to say it, but it is true, we have voluntarily chosen to worry about what is least threatening. This makes me wonder why. Thankfully, Kruger provided the following reasons as to why we worry about these irrational things. He explains that our amygdala has the first and most dramatic response to potential dangers. It is then a few seconds later when the reasoning areas of the brain finally respond. This time difference causes us to experience the emotion of fear more strongly than our power of reasoning. Another reason Kruger provides is that some of our responses may come from habituation. We fear unfamiliar threats more than ones we have been aware of for some time.Kruger lastly attributes our responses to evolution. By being aware of possible dangers, we are more likely to succeed in living and the passing on of genes.
In "Why we worry about the things we shouldn't... and ignore the things we should" Kluger writes about the irrational fears that we as humans exhibit and attempts to explain them. In doing this Kluger stats that we worry about the possibilities and ignore the probabilities. To make this point Kluger sites ideas such as our comfort of control, the dread factor, and the fact that our brains have not evolved to modern society. The most interesting of these points to me was the dread effect, I had never considered that we dread those things that cause us a slower more painful death even though they might be improbable of us acquiring.
ReplyDeleteI feel that everyone falls victim to these errors of reasoning and thinking and if someone believes that they are an exception then they are just lying to themselves. I find my worst problem being the fact that I do not eat healthy and yet workout five days a week, as if working out will help make up for my unhealthy eating habits. Another time I fall victim to this flawed way of thinking is when it comes to insects, I have a fear of most insects but larger creatures that have a much greater ability and chance of injuring me do not frighten me.
~Basil Sabbak 3rd hour
Basically we worry about things that could happen much more than things that are more likely to happen. He says this happens because we are wired for a prehistory world, but we live in a modern one. The amygdala reacts before higher brain functions can sort out danger, so by the time we realize that we’re worrying our body is already pumped with adrenaline. I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t fall victim to these errors of thinking and responding. I like everyone else do. No matter how long I study for a test, I’ll still worry about getting an F, but if I study well it is far more likely that I’ll do well on it. I also fear and worry about a bee or wasp stinging me, but in my entire life I’ve only been stung once, yet I still worry about it.
ReplyDelete-John O'Dea 6th
Kruger explains that how we perceive risks if influenced by how our brains process them. He suggests that our brain is "prehistoric" because our c.n.s hasn't evolved as fast as our now free-of-predators environment has. Kruger also suggests that the amygdala reacts and pumps out adrenaline right away; faster than we can calmly process a situation. I definitely see this reaction in my own life; specifically with heights. Even when safely restrained, I am beyond frightened of heights. There are no cases of death in the height-y environments I'm placed in, yet I still fear plummeting to my own death. I believe that everyone falls victim to this chemical reaction over logical reasoning; everyone has at least a few relatively irrational fears.
ReplyDeleteEllen Groble, 6th Hour
According to Kluger, we worry about possibilities while ignoring probabilities because, for example, when six Muslims traveling from a religious conference were thrown off a plane, because they were thought to be terrorists, and they really were not, unscreened cargo continue to stream into ports on both coasts which produces a greater threat of a possible terrorist attack. Yes I do find myself falling victim to these errors of thinking and reasoning. For example, some times when I need to drive somewhere in my car, I don’t wear my seatbelt, which puts me in much more danger of crashing and not surviving than does flying on an airplane somewhere. Many people refuse to fly and instead drive where ever they need to go but you are more likely to die in a car crash than in a plane crash.
ReplyDeleteNatalie Robertaccio
Period 3
Kluger explains that one of the main reasons we worry about the possibilities while ignoring the probabilities is because our prehistoric brains aren't fully adjusted to the modern world. Our central nervous system has not completely adapted to the modern world. We fear the things that could potentially harm us. I do find myself falling victim to these errors of thinking and reasoning. I can relate to the fear of flying that the article talks about. Although I fly multiple times a year, I am always a little nervous before we take off. However, I am never nervous while I'm driving even though there are far more car crashes than airplane crashes every year. I don't tend to think about risks such as eating fast food since the penalty, if it comes at all, comes later as Kluger explains. Certain risks provide immediate gratification so I don't think about the consequences that could possibly come later.
ReplyDeleteAllison Beveridge
Period 1
In terms of Kluger's reasoning for our irrational fears, he explains that while we live in a very modern era, our brains, particularly our amygdalas, have yet to catch up with the rest of our systems. Kluger refers to it as a prehistoric brain living in a modern world. We continue to fear things like shark attacks, when really coconuts falling on us may be a greater threat (to use Colbert's example).
ReplyDeleteIn terms of myself, I try not to fall victim to the errors of reasoning. My family finds unique statistics like this very interesting, and given a previous knowledge of a lot of this information, I try to see the realisticness in most situations. This does prove faulty in some occasions like my irrational fear of birds, however. All in all though, I have a relatively good sense of the "right" things to be afraid of.
Joey Gallagher
Psychology 6th Hour
According to Jeffrey Kluger, the more pain or suffering something causes, the more we tend to fear it: the cleaner or at least quicker the death, the less it troubles us. He talked about many things in his article that would give us reasons why we worry about the things we shouldn’t and ignore the things we should. “part of the problem we have with evaluation risk, is that we’re moving through the modern world with what is, in many respects, a prehistoric brain. We may think we’ve grown accustomed to living in a predator free environment in which most of the dangers of the wild have been driven away or fenced off, but our central nervous system hasn’t got the message.” After I read the article, I realized that I have fallen for the errors in thinking and reasoning all the time. I worry and pay more attention to things that I shouldn’t be. And example of that would be whenever I am traveling on a plane, I have small nervous breakdowns and vision the plan crashing due to a terrorist or weather problems. But on the other hand, I text and drive all the time with no worry in the world. The article made me much more aware on how people say things can change the way you think about them. “the more we dread, the more anxious we get, and the more anxious we get, the less precisely we calculate the odds of the thing actually happening.”
ReplyDeleteKatelyn Reynolds
Period 3
The miscalculation of risks leads many people to not only endanger themselves, but to also run the risk of not worrrying enough. According to Kruger we miscalculate risk for a few primary reasons. First, we tend to calculate more risk when there is more possible pain and suffering involved, because it scares us more to think about that thing actually happening. Kruger also says, "the more we dread, the more anxious we get, and the more anxious we get, the less precisely we calculate the odds of the things actually happening. Once again, fear rules our minds. Another primary reason for miscalculating risk is when unfamiliar risks are given greater weight than familiar ones.
ReplyDeleteI have fallen victim to all of these miscalculations at one point or another. I defintiely don't think about the risk of driving to fast, compared to the risk of dying from greasy food. I think it is easy to be mroe scared about things like shark attacks then high cholestrol because we, as humans, feel that we are invinsible to high cholestrol. This makes us forget about high cholestrol and worry about the horror of dying because of a shark. I think it is natural, and I don't see it changing anytime soon.
David Nolan
Period 3
Kluger says that we worry about thing's that we shouldn't and ignore things that we should. I completely agree. We are worried about things that could potentially harm us, instead of things that are already harming us now. Kluger says it's because our minds aren't accustomed to living in the modern world. "The more pain or suffering something causes, the more we tend to fear it; the cleaner or at least quicker the death, the less it troubles us". Choosing driving over flying is a good example. A lot of people think driving is safer when it reality, there are many more motor-vehicle deaths than flying. I've never been in an airplane, but something about them seems risky, when it really isn't. I can definitely relate to this article, because I do worry about other things like getting struck by lighting or rare diseases.
ReplyDeleteLaura Schweizer
Period 1
According to Kluger, we "worry about possibilities while ignoring probabilities" and the fact that our brains have not evolved to modern society. We fear the things that might happen instead of the things that are more probable to happen because of our ancestral predisposition. We are more afraid of flying in airplanes because there is a possibility that it might crash instead of car accidents which are more probable and occur more frequently. Before we are able to process a potential danger, our amygdala has already triggered the fight-or-flight reaction and pumped up the adrenaline. He also states that we fear slow deaths which cause a lot of suffering. Also, people tend to fear things that will cause immediate damage rather than long-term harm. For example, teenagers that smoke live in the moment and do not think about the future consequences that they might end up paying.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone falls victim to these errors in thinking and reasoning whether they are conscious of it or not. We are all predisposed to fear certain things. I usually get nervous on an airplane because i think of all the possibilities that something could go wrong. However, i dont fear driving as much even though there is a higher risk of crashing. I think it is because we tend to think that we will not get into car accidents because we have control over it. Also, i have a huge fear of spiders even though i know they are mostly harmless and it is very unlikely that they can hurt me.
Agata Glowacka
Period 1
Kluger states that we "worry about possibilities while ignoring probabilities" in the sense that people tend to worry more about things that might happen vs. things that have a greater probability to happen. For example, a lot of people are afraid of things like E. coli being in their spinach or mad cow disease in their beef, when they really should be worried about the amount of cholesterol and fat they are consuming because people are more likely to die of heart attacks and obesity. Kluger explains about how our brain is set the way it was "prehistorically" while we live in the modern world. Our central nervous system hasn't evolved in tune with the time period and the amygdala can react too rapidly, before we have the chance to process the actualities of the situation, and thereby adrenaline is pumped into our system right away.
ReplyDeleteI find myself falling victim to these errors in reasoning and thinking in the sense that I always get really nervous on airplanes when I'm flying about crashing in the middle of the ocean, but I never hesitate to get in a car. Car crashes are more likely to occur than plane crashes, yet I still fear plane crashes more. I find myself worrying about things I can't control and don't expect more than I fear things that are likely to happen, because I don't feel as much anxiety towards things that are likely to happen.
-Melvina S., 1st hour
Jeffrey Kluger's "Why we worry about the wrong things" explains how our body reacts with fear. He states that we have a prehistoric brain living in the modern world, in other words, we are constantly on the lookout for "predators." This feeling is triggered by the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for the "fight or flight" response. Adrenaline is pumped into the body and the sympathetic nervous system goes to work. This all happens before we are able to process the situation. I find myself doing exactly what Kruger explains. For example, when any snake comes in my line of vision, whether it be on TV or in real life, I become very anxious, however, if I see a lion or a tiger, I am completely fine. Our brains have become immune to the common threats.
ReplyDeleteGrant Van der Voort, 1st Hour
In his article Kluger states that we have a tendency to ignore overwhelming probabilities in the presence of much smaller ones. One crucial piece of this tendency of ours is the relative pain and ensuing fear, the Dread Effect. One could rather die upon sudden impact in a car collision rather than from a debilitating disease. Another piece of this is also our perceived control over the situation. This is exemplified by the classic aerophobia. Both of these components of the risk factor are present in my own experiences.
ReplyDeleteI am aerophobic. The Dread Effect is very pertinant in my feelings towards flying. even though i can understand the probabilities of a plane crash vs. an automobile crash i would still die upon sudden impact rather than after a 40,000 foot drop. I also would rather drive a car because i am in control of a car and not of the airplane. I also experience the optimism bias frequently. I tend to notice the flaws in other people before i notice the same quality in myself. I have definitely found myself in the position described in the text, driving and judging another driver for their actions when i very well may have done the same thing before. Even though i understand my irrational fear of flying, not even this understanding of risk perception could convince me to step into a plane. So far the only thing which has progressed my situation has been a sort of systematic desensitization therapy.
-Trevor Thiess, sixth hour
According to Kluger the reason why we worry more about possibilities over the probability is because there is a risk versus reward factor working, and on the hierarchy of factors is dread. Unlike most animals we would rather die a painless death than have a death that is very painful. we are also more afraid of the catastrophic events like 9/11 than we are of the mundane like heart attacks.
ReplyDeleteAt the most extreme levels i don't think that i am going to get struck by lighting while at the same time i won't go out golfing if there is a storm. but on a more probable level i don't take enough caution to my probable demise like skin cancer, and because i'm a lifegaurd i should worry especially since i often neglect to put on sun screen. so at the same time i don't worry about the extremes i'm also not worrying enough about my mundane.
Micah Koenig
6th hour
Kate Hasse
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
According to Kluger we “worry about possibilities while ignoring probabilities”. He is saying that we worry more about something that is unlikely to occur than what has a greater chance of actually occurring. Kluger explains that when you spot potential danger the amygdala reacts, triggering the fight-or-flight reaction that pumps adrenaline and other hormones into your bloodstream before the reasoning areas of the brain respond to sort out the reality of the danger. This means that it is easier to get the adrenaline rush than it is to stop it. Kruger also contributes our responses to evolution and habituation.
I find myself falling victim to these errors of thinking and reasoning very often. For example, I fear getting bitten by a shark, even though I don’t live anywhere near an ocean. But then I will speed to get to soccer practice or school. The probability of me getting in a car accident because of speeding is way higher then the possibility of me getting bite by a shark. Like Kluger says “we tend to fear an unfamiliar threat more than one that we have been aware of for some time.”
Kluger says " we worry about the possibilities while ignoring probabilities" meaning that we are more afraid of what could happen then the probability of it really happening to us. He explains this happening to us by saying that when you have a potential danger your amygdala reacts which makes your reaction pump hormones and adrenaline into your bloodstream. alot of this reactions happen before the brain is able to process the situations.
ReplyDeleteI find myself a fallen victim to this because I have many fears like I fear that i will get attacked by bees. Everytime i go outside i worry if there are bees around, if there are i usually stay inside to avoid getting stung. I know that a bee sting wont kill you but ive never been stung before so i dont know if im allergic to them which could cause me to die or some kind of reaction to me. I know its a small chance for that actually happening but there still is a possibility it could. Which scares me the most. I try to just forget my surroundings when im outside and to pretend that bees arent around so i dont get so much anxiety and im able to not worry and fear so much. For some reason all the other animals out there i never worry about except for bees. They are what i think twice about before going outside.
Paige Olis per 1
Kreuger says that humans worry too much about what could happen and don't pay any heed to what most likely will happen. For example, when people are scared of contracting mad cow disease from their meat and they pay no attention to the artery-clogging effects of eating that meat, when in reality they are more likely to develop heart disease than mad cow disease from eating that meat. He says that this is because our brains have not evolved as fast as the rest of our bodies have in that they still illicit a fearful response to things that we most likely need not be afraid of. While we should be afraid of these things, there are many other things that humans should be watching for, things that are much more pressing in nature.
ReplyDeleteI too fall prey to this type of fear. I always freak out when there is a bacteria scare, or an Avian Flu "outbreak", and I don't discipline my parents for driving in an immoral (and most likely illegal) fashion. I guess I really need to pay more attention to the things that most likely will kill me versus the things that could kill me but probably won't.
Sarah Khalil, 1st hour
I totally can see how Kreuger is puzzled by this problem that we worry about too much stuff that is uncontrollable or that is unncessary to worry about. I am an example of this. For example, I admit, that I do worry about the things that are out of my control. Such as diseases or even worrying about the future. I know that my worries are unnecessary and rediculous worries, however, at the time, I see them as necessary and rational fears. When I look back on them, I realize that they were stupid worries and they only succeeded in distracting me from my life at the time when I was worrying. I completely aggree with this article and feel that if I stop to think about my fears before I begin worrying about them, I will feel a sense of relief.
ReplyDeleteKim Bennett
3rd Hour
According to Krueger, our brains are living in a modern era while they are prehistoric organs. Since people died from falling off bridges and have died from lion attacks or poison spiders/snakes, the humans that didn’t attempt these antics survived. Therefore, these humans played the game of “the survival of the fittest” and survived. This means that the people who survived, survived because they were afraid of many things, which
ReplyDeletecause us to be afraid of unnecessary things, such as non-poisonous spiders or flying. Our scarce feelings are also due to the extensive coverage of terrorism and negative events through the media.
I do fall victim to Krueger’s explanation, because I do think about pros and cons a lot. For example, driving makes me nuts, because I’m always worried that I might be driving to close to the edge or I’m driving to fast. In addition, I’m afraid of snakes, because I was confronted by a cobra in India. I’m also afraid to fly, not because of terrorist attacks, but engine failures. This fear has increased since the recent U.S. Air plane crash. Finally I eat really unhealthy, which I worry about. I can’t help it, because I’m really weak when I see deep dish pizza from Lou Malnatis or garlic bread.
Irwinpreet S. Bagri
Period#3
After reading the article “Why we worry about the things we shouldn’t… and ignore the things we should” by Time Life there was one quote by Kruger that stood out. This was the quote referring to how “we worry about the possibilities while ignoring the probabilities” which primarily means that we worry more so about certain things and usually over react and wonder about what could possibly happen then what is most likely going TO happen. Kruger references to prehistoric times by explaining that our brain is set in these ancient and unknown times but we live in a modern world. Seeing that the Amygdala sense fear and triggers the fight or flight response, it reacts in a dramatic way and pumps adrenaline into our bloodstream. This all occurs before the higher parts of our brain regions can sort out and decipher what the danger really is and makes us feel a certain “pep” and very anxious. I have found that in many situations on a daily basis I find myself worrying and over-reacting to certain situations primarily because of the reasons explained by Kruger. I find myself coming up with dramatic outcomes and resolutions. There is nothing we fear more then the unknown.
ReplyDelete- Cory Pianetto-
1st Hour
Kluger believes that the reason that we worry about possibilities while ignoring probabilities is that we have a prehistoric brain. This just means that we are moving through the modern world with a brain that is similar to our ancestors. We have become accustomed to living in a safe environment where we are the dominate species and nothing really has a threat to us. Scientists have found that the amygdala is “the jumpiest part of the brain.” This almond-shaped clump of tissue prepares us for the fight-or-flight reaction that pumps adrenaline into our bloodstream. The amygdala reacts before the higher brain regions. This explains how we get scared of a stick on the ground, thinking it was a snake. I found this very interesting. The amygdala only reacts a fraction of a second before the upper brain regions, but this fraction of a second causes us to sense fear far more vividly then we do the rational response.
ReplyDeleteI have been a victim to errors of thinking and reasoning very frequently. Just this weekend I hung a coat up on my fan, because I was too lazy to take it down stairs. I came home late that evening and I forgot that I put it there. I went into my room and I thought I saw someone standing next to my bed. I was freaked out for a second, but then I actually saw it and remember where I put my coat. My amygdale prepared me for flight-or-flight, pumping adrenaline into my bloodstream, and then my upper brain regions logically sorted out the images. This was the process that Kluger was talking about.
- Sean McGaha (3rd period)
Kluger states that we worry because even though we are living in a modern day society, are brains are still in the prehistoric era. This is because our central nervous system developes very slowly and has not developed into the present yet. Even though we may believe that there are no predators anymore, our central nervous system does not think so. The part of the brain that reacts to danger and makes us sense fear quicker than us responding is the amygdala.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was putting on my jacket the other day I screamed and threw it off because I saw a dark speck on it and immediatly thought it was a spider. Then when I looked at it up close, it was just a piece of lint.
-Katie Stallone 3rd period
I think its very interesting that Kluger looks at this at a prehistoric aspect of our brain. It surprises me that our brains have taken such a long time to realize we aren't in the prehistoric era anymore. Kluger explains that our brain hasn't caught up with common times yet and that it takes time to sort out reasonable thinking and etc.
ReplyDeleteI fall too for these errors of thinking and reasoning. I've always grown up a freak about cleaning and germs even though there are tons of things in the cleaning products I use that are bad for me.I can't get past the germs to see that I'm taking in toxins from all the scrubbing bubbles i use to clean my sink all the time.
Arielle Schwartz, 3rd hour
I really do feel that fear boils down to two things; the unknown, and what is projected. As human beings, we tend to find ourselves at ease when we understand the flow of things, and can predict what is to happen next. Walking alone down a dark corridor can cause tremendous terror because it is unknown. It is unknown what one may come across, and it is unknown what may harm.
ReplyDeleteIn reference to the concept of possibility vs. probability, we are a species that often faces disappointment. It is a part of our evolution. Something that will "probably" happen is nowhere near as frightening as "possibly" happening. One who references something as a possibility can elicit once again, the unknown, and the unlikely. Something that is indicated as a possibility may strike fear because a possibility represents a factor that is not commonly experienced, leaving room for unanswered questions, and not enough research.
We strive to live a "possibility" life, not a "probability" life. Probability leaves us average, while possibility may leave us among the elite, entailed with excitement; unique and unordinary.
In reference to Kluger's argument, every day the news informs us of the "common" misfortunes of life. Homicide, the common flu, the harmful effects of cigarettes, car accidents, fires, accidents. These events have become aspects of the common life, what we experience and hear about every single day. However, the second there's a news blip about a breakout of the mad cow disease or the escape of E. Coli bacteria, our sense of commonality is suddenly crushed with waves. What is uncommon, strikes us as abnormal can instill fear immediately.
Catie Wloch
6th Hour.
according to kluger a reason that we worry about possibilities rather than probabilities is that we worry about things that could happen like mad cow disease instead of worrying about something that is more probable such as getting bad cholesterol from the foods we eat. I think that we hear about potential deadly risks on the news such as ecoli or dying in plane crashes and those become everyday worries that we have but when we find out about these harmful things we start ignoring the risks we have learned to live with everyday. For example males used to compete for mates at the risk of death but they ignored the fact they could be killed hunting for food everyday. I myself fall victim to some of these examples such as I'd rather drive than fly in a plane or I fall victim to the optimism bias where I falsely believe that risks that apply to other people don't apply to me. How wrong I am but I do find I take less risks than others.
ReplyDeleteSarah reindl
Hour 3
According to Kluger, part of the core reason that we worry so much more than we really need is that our prehistoric brain is functioning in the modern times. I understand why scenarios such as being killed by a coconut seem less likely than sharks. We aren’t afraid of coconuts but sharks are naturally feared. It is a predisposition. Similarly many people are naturally afraid of snakes and spiders but are not afraid of driving 70 miles per hour; a speed that would kill you if you crashed.
ReplyDeleteKluger has several reasons for why we worry about certain things but don’t recognize the bigger risks. Our amygdala has the first and most dramatic response to potential dangers, and it is no until a few seconds later that the reasoning areas of the brain respond. It is the small time difference that causes us to experience the fear more strongly than the logic. Kluger also accounts our reactions to evolution.
I think we fear things that are unfamiliar to us (sharks and the ocean) but are unafraid of things that are common (driving). I do find myself falling victim to these errors of thinking and reasoning. I don’t think about statistics when considering danger. I always find myself a little nervous when I fly but never when I drive. And I have a huge irrational fear of spiders and yet I am never afraid of dogs. Everyone falls victim to these errors, it’s human.
Kelly Dunn
3rd hour
According to Kluger, that we worry so much more than we really need is that our prehistoric brain is functioning in the modern times.
ReplyDeleteI understand that people seems to fear more irrational things than more harmful things, I agree with Kelly, driving 70 mph is a really big deal if you crash, and yet people do it without even noticing. Bungee jumping, sky diving and other extreme sports are seen as tests of skills and not dare devil stunts, any of these activities can easily kill any human, but still people jump out of airplanes at 2000 feet. But the same people are afraid of snakes, spiders and rodents.
I do find myself falling victim to these errors of thinking and reasoning. Snakes and mice don’t bother me, but I have a weird relationship with spiders, when I was little, I was really scared of them, then I grew into a stage where I was okay with them crawling on me and I thought they were interesting, and now I can’t stand them again. As a matter of fact, this morning I found a spider in my shower, eye height hanging right in front of my face. After getting over the shock of it almost landing on my face; I killed it. The fact is I shouldn’t have been scared but I was, and even after I killed it I didn’t really want to be around my bathroom anymore. It wasn’t until I convinced myself that I drowned the spider that I could continue with my morning routine. (In my defense the spider WAS huge).
Sarah Borchardt
3rd hour
Two things that were brought up in the article were "the comfort of control" and the fear that exists with certain fatal situations. I find myself able to relate with both examples. For example, while I always prefer flying to driving because of the time it saves, I trust myself behind the wheel more than I trust any person flying the plane. I even find myself tense when I am in a car with a driver that I feel is less competent. I've noticed recently how frightening it can be to be in the car when my dad is driving. I now volunteer to drive much more often because I prefer being able to control my fate.
ReplyDeleteKluger also calls attention to the fear aspect of why we worry. For instance, even though one may be more likely to die from a coconut induced concussion, I would rather stand under the tree than tread in shark infested water. The fact that I fear being ripped to pieces by a blood-thirsty shark makes me more inclined to worry about swimming in an ocean than finding shade under a tree.
Even though our worries may be unsupported statistically, it will hardly affect my personal fears. I do not believe that any mathematical probability will change my mind when it comes to swimming with a ferocious shark.
--Matt Walters p.1
Kluger explains the human capacity for the miscalculation of risk very well. He basically says that the more that we fear things as a society, The more precautions we take against them. The fact that coconuts are a source of food and are often associated with tropical areas means that society will think there are harmless. However, if our society had depicted the coconut tree as the most dangerous plant ever because of its falling orbs of tropical doom, we would probably not think so highly of them.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I have fallen victim to these miscalculations myself. An example could that when I really have to go to the bathroom I run/leap down the stairs to the bathroom for fear of letting fly my pants. When I should really be worried about making down the stairs safely. Plus if I fall down the stairs I'd probably dump on the way down.
Dan Arnold
Kluger states that part of our irrational worrying results from the prehistoric part of our brain. Our nervous system has evolved very slowly in respect to the rest of our body systems. In prehistoric times, humans had to be alert for all potential threats to livelihood. This is not as necessary today. Another reason we fear is because humans place value on certain activities. He says, "The more pain or suffering something causes, the more we tend to fear it." It throws off our capabilities to calculate probability. Humans also tend to fear more if they can't contol the situation. That is why we are more afraid of a shark attack than crashing a car while talking on a cell phone; we believe we can control the latter.
ReplyDeleteI can relate most to the logic behind fear of the uncontrollable. I am afraid of the dark. Even in my own bedrooom, it freaks me out. It doesn't make sense to me, other than that I can't see anything around me. I also have a huge fear of being murdered. I realize that more people probably worry about this but it's still irrational. My chances of being murdered, especially in Barrington, are so minimal compared to the chances of dying in a car accident. The media makes it seem like murders are common to the average person, and I am a victim of their propaganda. I do believe that it is human nature to make decisions based on feelings rather than logic.
Lauren Nelson
6th hour
I am guilty myself of these factors. Everyday driving to school passing an intersection makes me anxious. What if someone blew a stop light? Yet whenever I go high speed long boarding I fail to wear a helmet.
ReplyDeleteI admit that the human race does worry about the least bit possible dangers in the world. Whenever we fly a plane - we fear the threat of terrorism. Yet we have more of a chance getting struck by lightening.
But these are all precautions that we should be taking. Even the ones that we fail to see. The human race reacts to emotion rather than reason. We bring out the best of us in fear, aggression, and depression. We do not reason through and think about the other probabilities that may cause danger and unsettle to us.
Armin Tadayyon
- Absent Thursday (4/10)
- 3rd Hour
According to Kluger, we tend to worry about certain possibilities too often because we still have a prehistoric mindset. Although we consciously believe that we are in control of our modern world, we still have biological predispositions that cause us to overreact to certain stimuli. For example, when we see a stick in the grass, we automatically believe it's a snake, and panic. Then, after a moment or two, we consciosly process it, and realize that it's a harmless stick. We also fear because of "probability neglect" which means that we get anxiety due to dread, causing us to overestimate the odds of that event acutally happening. We most often dread things that are more painful, cause more suffering, kill at a faster pace, and are unfamiliar.
ReplyDeleteMy fear of heights can be attributed to those causes of fear because it is also slightly irrational. I'm terrified when looking out the window of a tall building or the top balcony of a large theater, but I'm not afraid of roller coasters or airplanes at all. It definitely relates to the theory of biological predispositions because I fear heights just as my ancestors probably did, but for some reason I trust modern technology, even though it has a much higher risk of killing me.
Karen Hays
6th hour
Kluger said that we worry about possibilities and ignore probabilities because we have a "prehistoric mindset." By this he means that our amygdala triggers the quickest and most intense response(fight-or-flight) to any possibility of danger. We are predisposed to assess risk based on immediate dangers, and how they sound to us, not actual statistics or probability.
ReplyDeleteBecause we assess risks incorrectly we tend to let factors such as dread, our control of the situation, the media, or the belief that "it won't happen to me" cloud the situation. We let these factors distract us and we process risks due to the seemingly obvious possibilities, but not the statistically obvious realities.
A good example of this for me would be my fear of being home alone and having our house get broken into. The chances of that in my neighborhood are pretty slim, and i engage in much higher risk behaviors- i sometimes talk on a cell phone while driving even though i know its dangerous. I also believe that the media definetely enhances what we look out for. If its on the news to watch out for this or that, that is what people concentrate on, despite other more dangerous and immediate risks.
Emily Rappleye
6th Hour
According to Kluger, one specific reason that we worry about mere possibilities versus the more likely probabilities is because of our primitive brain. Within our primitive brain is the region called the amygdala which triggers our fight-or-flight response pumping our adrenaline and raising other hormone levels when something scares us or happens unexpectedly. The higher level structures of our brain pick up on this instinctual response a few fractions of a second later and being to rationalize it. The only thing is, it is much harder to calm down after a frightful or worrisome experience than it is to become frightened in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThe real issue though, is when we are given time to ponder an event or potential fear; this is called the dread factor according to Kluger. The dread factor is when we get anxious after more and more dreading of something happening to us. When this happens, our ability to calculate the odds to this transpiring decline and we therefore think it is more possbile than not. Thsi is also called probability neglect. Unfamiliar and uncommon threats and tragic events are also more dramatic because they are more vivid and horrific so we therefore fear their reoccurance. The perfect proof of this point lies in the reactions of almost every citizen of the United States in the weeks following 9/11. No one wanted to fly in a plane...but the likelyhood of another terrorist attack that soon after was slim to none. Kluger uses this example in comparison to his idea of comfort of control. More people drove on highways after 9/11 because behind the wheel of a car they were in control but in a plane they might as well have been baggage. What's ironic is car crash fatalities increased dramatically in that period of time, while no more terrorist attacks happened.
One good example i can think of is my fear of tornados. Even though they are scarce in the suburbs, if it gets too windy at night i bury myself in my comforter and stick my head under the pillow to try and get rid of the noise i hear from the wind. This fear has most likely come from our knowledge of tornados and how deadly they can be. The most major factor in my fear though would probably be what Kluger called the comfort of control issue. Since i have absolutely no contorl over whether a tornado strikes or where, I feel more scared of the possibility one might occur even if the probability would tell me to just go to sleep on those windy nights!
Katelyn Stermer
1st hour
Kluger states that we worry about the possibilities while ignoring probabilities. This is something that I myself fall victim to. By worrying about some extreme circumstance that has a slim chance of happening (let's say getting in a plane crash) rather than worrying about something that might actually happen (let's say getting a speeding ticket). Since the Amygdala senses fear and triggers the fight-or-flight response, it pumps adrenaline into the bloodstream to counter act what is going on. This all happens before we can sense how much danger we are in. Thus why we feel endangered when only the mildest of danger is around.
ReplyDeleteAn easy example is the anxiety right before take off on a plane. I always feel antsy but why should I? Chances of crashing are one in a million. Instead of worrying about how bad the food I will be eating is, I instead focus on something that is of the rarest occasions.
-DVMax
6th hour
I feel that Kluger hits the nail on the head with his statement that we as humans worry about the possibilties and ignore the probabilities. It is a dilema that everyone faces and falls victim to. It is intresting that this is caused by our brains acting primatively; with all the evolution that has taken place over the millions of years it is a true wonder that our this reaction of our amygdala has not been altered to correlate with modern times. What has been found is that the Amygdala senses fear triggering the fight-or-flight response increasing our adrenaline. This process happens so quickly that there is no time for the apprasial of an event, simply we sense fear (even the slightest hesitation such as splinter) and our body is expecting to deal with the worst.
ReplyDeleteThis pattern of worrying and contemplating events has definitely had an impact on my life, my grandma was an obsessive worrier and ultimately lead to her having a heart attack and passing away. Witnessing this, and the adverse effects it had on my family I would like to say I have learned better; but truthfully I have not. I tend to worry myself over the most trivial things such as if wearing a skirt to school is an appropriate decision, or if ill need to bring X, Y, or Z with me to make sure I'm as prepared as possible. God forbid...
Sorry that last one is Maureen Doyle 3
ReplyDeleteKruger has a variety of theories as to why we excessively worry about trivial circumstances. His first theory is that we as modern humans are still using a prehistoric brain because although it is a complex structure, it has not evolutionized quickly enough to know that we live in a predator-free environment. The amygdala acts quickly with the fight-or-flight response before the brain can process whether or not the jumpiness is justified. He also states that people are more concerned about problems that could potentially cause the greatest harm.
ReplyDeleteI don't tend to have many irrational fears, however, I do recall being extremely afraid to fly after 9/11 and even more afraid to go on a cruise after seeing Titanic. While I know these circumstances are unlikely, we are exposed to so many stories in the media that the probability of dying from a homicide or car crash seems increasingly likely in our daily lives.
Kimmy Steelman Period 1
According to Kruger, human beings have a tendency to worry about the improbable instead of concerning ourselves with things that are actually very probable. Her reason is that our prehistoric brains are functioning in a modern world. Our brain has not evolved as quickly as our environment. Today, our environment is much different than it was hundreds of years ago. Yet, since our brain hasn't evolved, we worry things that aren't actually there. The fight or flight response, triggered by the amygdala, happens before we can process the situation and rationalize the potential threat.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I don't have very irrational fears or worries, I just have a lot of them. Since I am constantly worrying about things, I have time to weigh them in my head and decide what is more likely to happen and what I should be most worried about. There are times when I can be consumed with irrational fears because when I get anxious, I am easily convinced that something bad could happen. Things like being home alone and worrying about the house being broken into. It is very unreasonable to worry about things like that because they will probably never happen.
Ellen Quade, 3
We humans have a tendency to worry about the stupidest things. Sometimes its really isnt our fault for being scarred. It is just our brains telling us something. SOme of our fears are preexisisting and cant be avoided, while in other cases we control every aspect of what we fear and thing we arent afraid of. Becasue our brains prehistoric trying to function in modern times is fair to say. The environment around us had changed dramtically and we havent been able to keep up with it. Eventually our brains might catch up, but our environment wont stopo changing to let it catch up. I'm only slightly afraid of heights. Recently ive gotten over my fear mostly, but i still feel uneasy around it sometimes. I mean this might not be unreasonable sometimes, but mostly is an unreasonable thing to fear.
ReplyDeleteAlec Riefenberg, 1
After reading this article I have to admit that I fall for a lot of these common errors in thinking processing. I hate flying and have always been afraid of the possibility that I will end up dying in a plane crash if I fly. I don't like situations where I'm not in control of my own well being. If I had to choose to drive across the country or fly I would chose to drive. Even though 44,000 people are killed in car crashes, and only a few hundred are killed in plane crashes each year.
ReplyDeleteI also find myself having what Dr. Irwin Redlener calls wake-up calls. I find myself worring about something to an extreme for a certain amount of time and swearing that I will act differently, but just as Dr. Irwin Redlener says "They're more like snooze alarms. we get agitated for a while, and then don't follow through." I hope that since I read this article and now have a better understanding about why I worry about the impossible instead of the probable I will be more aware the next time I have an irrational worry.
Allison O'Connell 3
As humans, we are wired to be the most worried about the things that we have no control over. Our brains are also designed to make us worry about danger without realizing that it's not a very likely threat.
ReplyDeleteI have often found myself thinking irrationally about possibilities rather than probabilities. When I fly, I find myself worried about the plane crashing more than I worry about getting in a car accident when I'm driving. Another life example that I've experienced is right after september 11th happened, I wasn't allowed to go on a trip to France with the school because everyone was worried about flying out of the country because of the recent events.
Clara, period 6
Kluger explains that our brains, our amygdalas in particular, have not caught up with the era we live in. He believes that our brains are still like those of people in olden times but they are living in a very different time. We fear things like spiders, and sharks, and various other typically frightening things, but we don’t look at statistics like those shown by Colbert, that things like coconuts are actually more dangerous than something else that is scary.
ReplyDeleteI do find myself falling victim to the same errors of thinking and reasoning. I’m a little scared of spiders, but I’ve come to accept that the vast majority of spiders that I will encounter in my life will be common house spiders. However, I feel that we most likely do not fear common things like coconuts because we are ignorant of such statistics, if we were aware of all the pertinent statistics I believe that people would be a mess fearing to do anything because it could kill them.
-Connor Thompson period 6
"At the same time, 20% of all adults still smoke; nearly 20% of drivers and more than 30% of backseat passengers don't use seat belts; two-thirds of us are overweight or obese"
ReplyDeleteHumans tend to do dangerous things even after knowing the risks involved. Kruger has many theories as to why we worry about things we should not, and don't worry about the things we should. Our brains are "programmed" to fear things that are irrational to be afraid over.
I have definitely fallen victim to these reasoning errors quite a few times. I have one of the worst cases of aracnophobia there is, and most of the time it is very irrational. I fear some things that I shouldn't, and don't fear some things that I most likely should.
Elle Woodall hour 1
When kruger says we all worry about the possibilities while ignoring the probabilities. This means that we all worry about the things that could occur. For instance, people that are afraid of heights may stay near the ground. But truthfully there is no danger than being higher than the ground, when you learn how to be courageous with your mind. Kruger talks about the majority of what we think. We all do things that may be dangerous to us or to other people. Like riding a skateboard without a helmet. Though this may be dangerous, Kruger makes it seem like it is important however you think of it. The brain responds to dangerous actions when we have thoughts of what may happen if we don’t use our head’s in these situations. That is why it is an asset to be safe about it rather than reckless.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey Moy -3