What Are You Afraid Of?

[HuckleB]

http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/what-are-you-afraid-of/#more-8657

"...

Despite the obvious adaptive function of fear, many people fear the wrong things, meaning that their fear and anxiety is not proportional to actual threat. This mismatch is maladaptive, so why is it the case?

For example, people generally fear flying more than driving. Meanwhile, in the entire history of aviation about 13,000 people have lost their lives, the same amount as die on US roads every 4 months. Another way to look at the probability, which is perhaps a bit more intuitive, is that you would have to fly every day for about 14,000 years before having a greater than 50% chance of crashing. That’s pretty reassuring.

...

Our availability heuristic kicks in, however, and we are given the false sense that the events we see on the news are common or likely. Therefore, the news has a tendency to give us a distorted view of reality. They also tend to focus on fears, because that is what sells. “Should you be afraid of X? Find out at 11.”

...

Social media has made the problem worse, if anything. There is an entire cottage industry that exists to sell fears about food and toxins. People worry about trace amounts of “chemicals” in their food rather than whether or not they are getting enough exercise.

..."


-----------------------------------------------------




A good piece that covers a lot of important in a small space.

[KamaAina]

1. Republicans.

Srsly.

[HuckleB]

2. And with good reason!

Indeed.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Y2K and Mighty Grenada.

[HuckleB]

8. Two good oldies!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Well, if I just HAVE to be afraid of something, it might as well be something that won't hurt me.

[HuckleB]

12. Indeed. -eom-

[First Speaker]

4. What am I afraid of? The usual...heights, death, pain, Chevy Chase movies...

...but I try and keep it in perspective...

[el_bryanto]

7. The original Fletch was pretty good. Watched that recently and it holds up. nt

[longship]

121. Yup! Plus it is Geena Davis' first big role.

John Cocktosin!

"Moon River"

A pretty damned good film.

[tazkcmo]

126. James Garner.

I wanted Garner to play Fletch. It was him I always visualized in my head when reading those books. Chevy did good though but I still think Garner would've been better.

[Ed Suspicious]

5. I'm afraid of paid corporate shills influencing the conversation.

[HuckleB]

11. The article would be good for you to read, then.

[darkangel218]

16. !

[darkangel218]

15. Bwahahahahahaha!!!

Right on!

[HuckleB]

20. And the pointless nastiness, without any actual content keeps coming.

[darkangel218]

22. I wonder how they get paid...

Per diem, salaries? Bennies or no bennies? So many questions, so very few answers

[Ed Suspicious]

23. It's inconceivable how that might happen.

My imagination isn't vivid enough to try to figure out that mystery of life.

[darkangel218]

26. I found a few articles on Google regarding the subject.

Just still nothing about how much they bank. Its amazing that someone would make a job out of heckling people on internet boards

[HuckleB]

32. It's even more amazing that people who can't support their stances on the Internet...

... think shouting "Shill!" makes everything better.

[pnwmom]

90. Or that some of them thinking sending vicious private messages is a good option. n/t

[HuckleB]

92. After all these years, it was much deserved.

It's really lame that certain people can't take legitimate personal criticism without making a public display.

[pnwmom]

93. It's really lame that some people are so cowardly they sent hate emails. n/t

[HuckleB]

97. "Cowardly."

I could go on from there, but I won't, because you don't deserve it.

[pnwmom]

100. That's exactly what it is. It's cowardly to send nasty private messages

when you can't win a public argument.

[HuckleB]

101. I have always won arguments against you in public, from a science-based standpoint.

Your ugly insinuations have taken a toll over time.

You have no excuses. I make no excuses.

[pnwmom]

103. yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that.

[HuckleB]

105. I know that.

Last edited Wed Dec 9, 2015, 05:05 PM - Edit history (1)

It's sad that you fail to understand that reality.

Laugh away, while your actions harm others and the world.

The fact is that your response to my anger is leagues more ugly than my anger.

[darkangel218]

120. 2 days ago you sent several PMs to different posters cursing them out

And posted several personal attacks which got hidden, http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027419447#post97
And now you are doubling down saying that it was "well deserved"??

HuckleB
92. After all these years, it was much deserved.
It's really lame that certain people can't take legitimate personal criticism without making a public display.

Holy cow.

[closeupready]

130. WOW. So uncalled for - and yes, he's doubling down.

Thanks for bringing it to wider attention here, darkangel218.

[HuckleB]

133. LOL!!!!

You've just been something far more ugly than my anger, and you don't even see it.

[closeupready]

136. you're talking in tongues - I have zero idea what you are saying here.

[HuckleB]

138. Then maybe you should refrain from commenting when you don't know the full story.

[closeupready]

139. Or maybe you should mind your own business.

I was responding to darkangel218.

[HuckleB]

145. On my thread, talking about me.

And joining in on a conversation started by others, and having nothing to do with the OP.

Hmmmm.

[darkangel218]

140. No problem.

Last edited Wed Dec 9, 2015, 05:52 PM - Edit history (1)

As you can see, his posts speak for themselves.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024893695

He personally attacked everyone in that thread, even those who agreed with him.

[HuckleB]

131. And you are showing your hand way to loudly.

Everyone now knows the reality.

[pintobean]

43. Your frequent claims of victimhood

might be a little more believable if you weren't frequently doing things like this.

[darkangel218]

45. Awww!

Sorry we hurt your feafees!!

[pintobean]

50. You're not capable of hurting my feelings

but you completely validated my point.


In my crystal ball, I see what looks like USNRET1988's wake.

[darkangel218]

52. !

[HuckleB]

58. I'm really struggling to see how that is tolerated at DU.

The viciousness appears to be ignored by so many.

It's just not ok.

[darkangel218]

69. Like your 3 hidden posts in one day, 2 days ago??

Oh my!

Hilarious!!!

[tammywammy]

72. Of all people you shouldn't be casting stones about hidden posts n/t

[Kali]

73. no self-awareness whatsoever

[HuckleB]

77. And yet it doesn't matter at DU, in this era.

It's not like we don't have enough to face in the world.

[darkangel218]

78. I haven't had a hidden post in months.

I would say, "out of all the people casting stones "shouldn't be those who just had 3 posts hidden in one day, two days ago

[Kali]

80. some of those months you were on time out (again)

hey! you just got off yet another one at DI, all your RWNJ buddies are waiting for you.

[tammywammy]

81. Congrats are in order. Is this the longest period you've ever gone without getting a hidden post?

Haven't you had three posts hidden in the same day before? That's what I meant by throwing stones.

I searched and found a post referencing it:

Star Member darkangel218 (13,245 posts)
80. my account was flagged automatically

Anyone's account would if 3 or or more posts are hidden in the same day. Its a software thing.

But like I said, Skinner is aware of Kali. She is trying to hijack my OPs and personally attack me. Like I said, the admins is watching

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4105919

Your account was left "flagged for review" for weeks after you got the three hides.

[HuckleB]

86. Interesting.

[pintobean]

127. It happened more than once

as can be seen in this sub-thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024284722#post22

It was happening again as the one you referenced was being discussed.
"hat trick"

[HuckleB]

74. That's quite the confession.

And DU should recognize it.

[darkangel218]

79. Confession to what?

Are you projecting now?

[HuckleB]

84. No one needs to project to figure that out.

It would be wise for you to start being a bit more honest in the future.

[darkangel218]

95. You started the call out in this thread, yet you're telling me to be

"more honest in the future"?? Lmao!!!

I'm not falling for flamebait anymore, sorry.

Have a good night.

[HuckleB]

106. You participated in an attempt to disparage my character.

In this thread, and now you're going to pretend otherwise?

Really?

[darkangel218]

108. I did?

Copy and paste where did I do that?

[HuckleB]

110. It's in the thread. No one will be confused by it.

[darkangel218]

111. Nope, no one attacked you.

We were talking about a general subject which plagues many online communities. I asked you to copy and paste where me or the other two posters have personally attacked you. You can't copy and paste, because we didnt.

Have a good night. *sighs*

[HuckleB]

112. Derp.

[darkangel218]

114. So that is your reply, when asked for proof? "Derp"?

Ok.

[HuckleB]

116. Derp.

It's a simple term.

[darkangel218]

117. Yah, just as I thought.

Have a good night.

[HuckleB]

118. Derp.

Which also means you didn't think at all.

[darkangel218]

119. Think about what?

Your 4th Derp?



Oh boy!

[HuckleB]

137. Derp.

[pnwmom]

87. What? That she observed your posting that got well-deserved hides?

Yeah, quite a confession.

[HuckleB]

89. A second confession.

That's always appreciated.

[pnwmom]

91. I'm still waiting for an apology. n/t

[HuckleB]

94. You owe me, and DU, multiple apologies.

Until you do that, you shouldn't be asking for anything.

[pnwmom]

96. ROFL!!!!

[HuckleB]

98. Derp.

[darkangel218]

107. Pnwmom is one of the nicest and most polite members of DU.

HuckleB
94. You owe me, and DU, multiple apologies.
Until you do that, you shouldn't be asking for anything.

She does not owe you or anyone else here any apology.

[HuckleB]

109. She does.

And I know she know that, even though she won't admit it publicly.

And so do you, even though you won't bother to admit it to yourself.

[darkangel218]

113. She does what?

You sent her nasty PMs and nasty replies and had multiple posts hidden in a matter of hours, yet you are asking HER to apologize??

Oh my!!!

[HuckleB]

115. Derp.

[pintobean]

62. The jury voted 1-6 to leave it

[HuckleB]

75. It's not surprising in this era.

I have the feeling that many DUers will represent their pasts as being very different in the future.

Only because science really does matter.

[Kali]

67. they get paid in grain, you know...GMOats

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7430067

Star Member darkangel218 (13,241 posts)
357. GMO stand for genetically modified oats.

Are you saying Cows are made of "oats"??? Or are you referring to what they eat? If that, can they not eat organic oats???

Also, Organic bananas are not GMOs, I buy them all the time.

[darkangel218]

68. That wouldn't be very lucrative for them, now would it?

[HuckleB]

76. You have no idea how informative this response is to the world, do you?

[HuckleB]

104. Well, you care!

[Initech]

83. This post brought to you by the Citi Double Cash Card.

Now with twice the cash back!

[el_bryanto]

6. Snarples! Snarples everywhere! nt

[Pathwalker]

9. I am going blind, and that scares me very much.

I've already broken seven toes, so I won't let anyone move any more furniture. Terrorists? No, I live way out in the country - the terrorizers here hunt at night on four legs.

[HuckleB]

14. I'm sorry to hear that.

Take care.

[a la izquierda]

17. Spiders and failure.

Spiders I can't control.
I've been good about the failure part.

[HuckleB]

19. It is interesting how many humans have a fear of spiders.

It's clearly survival.

[a la izquierda]

36. I realize they don't have malice aforethought..

But I swear they know I don't like them. We only kill the poisonous ones (not common in WV), as a brown recluse killed my dog a few years back when I lived in Oklahoma. I've gotten better, but yeesh.

[HuckleB]

56. Yeah, I hated them as a kid.

Though I actually left my fears behind after I some time in the Amazon. Then I bought a house, and got into gardening, and decided they were my friends. I'm still cautious around them, however.

[smirkymonkey]

40. I am terrified of them, all bugs really. And snakes and rats.

However I love squirrels, even thought they can be aggressive little rodents.

[HuckleB]

57. I love it when the squirrels and crows squabble.

That's entertainment!

[smirkymonkey]

71. Nothing like the drunk squirrel videos though...

Sorry, I know it seems cruel but somehow these little buggers managed to get themselves good and smashed...

It just cracks me up for some reason, and I'm not even drunk. I'm a sick person, I know.

[jonno99]

28. I concur...nt

[hobbit709]

18. There's very little I'm afraid of, there are some things I have a healthy respect for.

[cherokeeprogressive]

21. Spiders regardless of size or species.

Kill 'em with fire!

[jonno99]

30. I'm partial to the vacuum cleaner (and I'll turn it on a few times afterwards to

make sure they stay put).

[a la izquierda]

37. I have a friend in Los Angeles...

who tried to kill one once by making a torch out of a lighter and hairspray.

He almost burned his garage apartment down.

[cherokeeprogressive]

46. I just might be related to that friend of yours LOL. We obviously share the same genes... n/t

[Tipperary]

134. I would never kill a spider.

They are beneficial insects.

Plus my granny told me it was bad luck to kill a spider.

[cherokeeprogressive]

146. Your Granny and I could never be friends.

Beneficial yes... but so numerous that I could kill every spider within 20 feet of me every day and Mother Nature would never notice. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[Lizzie Poppet]

24. Wrackspurts.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

25. I can't think of anything I am afraid of.

There are lots of things I wouldn't like to have happen. I wouldn't want myself or anyone in my family to die anytime soon, for example, but I don't feel fear when I think about. I just deal with things as they happen. Fearing my own death seems silly too. Not much I can do after that. I tend to focus on what I can control and just accept that not everything is under my control. I would be constantly unhappy otherwise.

[craigmatic]

27. Nothing rational- heights I guess and maybe another republican in the white house.

[Kalidurga]

29. That my mouth will write a bigger check than I can cash.

My temper is getting more hair trigger as the years go by. I just don't have the patience for nonsense like I used to have.

[yuiyoshida]

31. Tsunami

an unstoppable wall of water death.

[smirkymonkey]

41. Ugh, terrifying!

I also am terrified of heights. I can't even look at those old photographs of construction workers having lunch on the skyscrapers they are building without having to turn away. It completely freaks me out. I have actually worked in a lot of tall buildings before, but I could never look out the window and down.

[closeupready]

132. I didn't grow up by the sea, but now that I live on the Atlantic Ocean,

I also fear some kind of monster tsunami wave of death, God forbid.

[Thirties Child]

33. Spiders, heights, flying, another Bush in the White House

[smirkymonkey]

42. Pretty much my exact same fears! Although I would just say another republican

in the White House.

I know the fear of flying is irrational and I understand the physics behind it and all the statistics, but there is just something that seems so unnatural to me and once I am stuck up in a metal tube 30,000 feet up in the air with absolutely no chance of getting out and no control I just panic. I have done it a number of times because I love to travel, but the older I get, the more I hate it.

[RussBLib]

34. not being able to retire in relative comfort

and I don't mean in luxury, but with enough to eat and with shelter and money to buy medicines.

We are on the edge of retirement and this stock market is just fucking KILLING US.

[NickB79]

35. Climate change

And the hellhole of a planet it will leave for my child and her children and those children's children to inherit.

That's assuming any future grandchildren I have live long enough to inherit anything, much less have children of their own

[PasadenaTrudy]

44. Glad I didn't have kids n/t

[GliderGuider]

38. Your question brought up a very interesting answer.

Not heights
Not fire
Not criticism
Not Republicans
Not terrorists
Not GMOs
Not radiation
Not climate change
Not illness
Not injury
Not poverty
Not old age

Not even death.

I wonder when that happened? I used to be afraid of lots of stuff. I never even noticed the fears laving home.

[HuckleB]

55. It's interesting.

Some of us do grow more fearful as we age, and others leave the fears behind. Not that we're don't continue to be careful and smart, but...

[GliderGuider]

123. Whether fears increase or decrease seems to depend on one's relationship to life.

If one is mainly focused on the outer world, one becomes aware of their declining ability to control it, and fears increase.
If one turns inward instead, one is apt to realize that the whole concept of controlling one's world is an illusion, that nothing in that world can touch one's true Self. Then fears subside.

Over the past decade I have progressively turned inward, away from a materialist cosmology, toward the direction of jnana, also known as Advaita. This is the main reason I am no longer afraid.

[Kilgore]

39. Running out of gin

The prospect of not having an after work G&T is horrifying!!!

[truegrit44]

47. Lately, Cops and what is

with the spider thing? I like them except for the brown recluse that bit me 20 years ago.........

[Go Vols]

48. A woman that wants to gets married

is about all I can come up with.

[csziggy]

49. Getting old and losing capabilities

I came close to losing my mobility. Now that I got my knees fixed I'm losing my ability to breathe without pain.

I want to live long enough to finish my projects - needlework and genealogy. Of course genealogy is never done and at the rate I keep adding needlework projects I'll have to live to two hundred. If my hands get more arthritic I won't be able to finish more than a few dozen of the projects I have lined up!

They keep telling us they are going to be able to keep people alive a lot longer. Well, my family genetics already will get me close to a hundred. I just hope my mind holds up longer than my body. Mom has lost her short term memory and I don't want to be like that in thirty years.

[Hekate]

85. What you said. Am now part of the "oldest generation" in the family...

it's not the prospect of dying that scares me nearly as much as the prospect of losing my mental faculties.

[muntrv]

51. To quote Chris Rock:

"I ain't afraid of Al Quaeda! I'm afraid of Al Cracker!"

[Kali]

53. deliberate ignorance

that goes for everything from the crazy religious zealots around the world to the anti-science, anti-intellectual dipshits here in this country, to fools like anti-vaxers and fad diet followers. Yes I know they often overlap.

I am in despair over the "quality" of science education and the resulting inability to think critically in the US.

[HuckleB]

54. You win the "Huckleb's Favorite Response Of The Thread" Award!

[tammywammy]

64. +1

Add to that many the same people tend to have a fear or inability to admit they're wrong or don't know.

I tell people at work all the time "I don't know, let me check into that." I've been in charge of a large project this last year, meeting with a lot of people I'd never met before and I was in this position less than a year when it started. My manager has received very positive feedback from a variety of people on how much they've enjoyed working with me on it. I don't bullshit people around.

[kwassa]

59. The rise of the idiot far right, and their influence.

[Snobblevitch]

61. Out of the posts so far,

I omly read three that I considered legitimate fears (spiders don't count).

My only fear is becoming disabled and not being able to take care of myself. I was one of two primary care givers of the last five years of my mother's life.

[PowerToThePeople]

63. Homelessness

I am always just a few paychecks away it seems. It is almost constantly lurking behind me, waiting to get me when I am at my weakest.

[tammywammy]

65. I don't like ladders including step-ladders or the attic.

I have to use a step ladder all the time cause I'm a petite 5'4" and store stuff on the top shelf in the kitchen and closets. I'm afraid I'm going to fall, though I've never actually fallen off a ladder.

[HuckleB]

66. I do get that. Big time.

I think it's the only time I have a true fear of heights.

[nadinbrzezinski]

70. Yup, CRIME IS THOUGH THE ROOF

no, no it is not, and I admit we in media (if it bleeds it leads) don't help

[Initech]

88. Donald Trump as president scares the shit out of me.

[HuckleB]

99. Absolutely!~!!! What a world?

[U4ikLefty]

122. science

[Chathamization]

124. Yep. I even saw some people fearmongering about E. Coli at Chipotle recently...

Our availability heuristic kicks in, however, and we are given the false sense that the events we see on the news are common or likely. Therefore, the news has a tendency to give us a distorted view of reality. They also tend to focus on fears, because that is what sells. “Should you be afraid of X? Find out at 11.”

...

Social media has made the problem worse, if anything. There is an entire cottage industry that exists to sell fears about food and toxins.

Which is outrageous! But if it's aimed at food products we don't like, we'll happily join in.

[lonestarnot]

125. News is norovirus at the Chipotle.

[HuckleB]

129. Funny how that really has more to do with Chipotle's fear mongering as a marketing plan.

There's this thing called hypocrisy, and some of us call it when it happens.

[Chathamization]

141. So it's cool to do it if they do it first? Must have missed that part of the article.

But you're absolutely correct: "There's this thing called hypocrisy."

[HuckleB]

143. Nice try.

You aren't getting anywhere with this routine.

[Chathamization]

147. You mean posting fear mongering OPs about food and then complaing about food fear mongering?

And falling back on "look, it's OK for me to do the things this article complains about, I have reasons; the main point is that it's terrible when people who aren't me do them."

Yeah, I don't think I'd get anywhere with that routine. It's pretty transparent.

[ileus]

128. Retirement...even with my 401, Pension, and SS.

[closeupready]

135. Not too much - fire, I guess. Getting fat. Massachusetts drivers.

You know, the standard things.

[hatrack]

142. Disgruntled ex-exmployees with guns; people who text while driving or don't use turn signals

What the future holds at 400 ppm CO2 and counting . . . .

Other than that, meh, I'm good.

[annabanana]

144. I'm afraid my millennial sons won't be self-

supporting before I croak..