After recently reading some research that suggested that people with a conservative political orientation respond more to fear than liberals and have a larger amygdala (part of the brain that responds to fear) than liberals, it makes me wonder how often different people experience fear in their everyday lives and change their behavior as a result.
As I think through my own life, I really struggle to think of many times I have felt sufficient fear to alter my behavior.
I can think of two times where I was walking through particular areas that made me feel physically unsafe due to potential crime and so I left them quickly, and once when I decided not to go into an area that had a bad reputation because I'd heard it was unsafe. Unfortunately, my area was hit by some large earthquakes (which collapsed some buildings and killed some people) several years ago and had many hundreds of aftershocks, and so for a while it was particularly scary whenever an aftershock hit because you'd never be sure whether this would be the big one that collapsed the building you were in. So for a while I was careful always to keep my cellphone with me (in the event that the building collapsed and I needed to call for help from under the rubble), and be a bit careful about what sort of buildings I was in. Also, I have a general fear of heights (although flying in a plane doesn't bother me) so I avoid the edges of cliffs or looking over the edge of stairwells that go down multiple stories in tall buildings.
Overall, in the average week, I would say the number of times I alter my behavior due to a fear for my physical safety would be zero on average.
What about you guys? You don't have to give any details, but how often would you say in an average week or month you would alter you behavior due to a fear for your physical safety?
Perhaps when walking home you go the long way rather than a short way to avoid an unsafe area? Perhaps you sometimes carry a gun for personal protection? Perhaps you drive rather than walk because you wouldn't feel safe walking? Perhaps there's somewhere you would have visited, but didn't, because you felt unsafe? Perhaps you avoid certain behaviors because of the potential for catching disease?
Overall, how often would you say that fear about your physical safety causes a behavioral change in your life?
As I think through my own life, I really struggle to think of many times I have felt sufficient fear to alter my behavior.
I can think of two times where I was walking through particular areas that made me feel physically unsafe due to potential crime and so I left them quickly, and once when I decided not to go into an area that had a bad reputation because I'd heard it was unsafe. Unfortunately, my area was hit by some large earthquakes (which collapsed some buildings and killed some people) several years ago and had many hundreds of aftershocks, and so for a while it was particularly scary whenever an aftershock hit because you'd never be sure whether this would be the big one that collapsed the building you were in. So for a while I was careful always to keep my cellphone with me (in the event that the building collapsed and I needed to call for help from under the rubble), and be a bit careful about what sort of buildings I was in. Also, I have a general fear of heights (although flying in a plane doesn't bother me) so I avoid the edges of cliffs or looking over the edge of stairwells that go down multiple stories in tall buildings.
Overall, in the average week, I would say the number of times I alter my behavior due to a fear for my physical safety would be zero on average.
What about you guys? You don't have to give any details, but how often would you say in an average week or month you would alter you behavior due to a fear for your physical safety?
Perhaps when walking home you go the long way rather than a short way to avoid an unsafe area? Perhaps you sometimes carry a gun for personal protection? Perhaps you drive rather than walk because you wouldn't feel safe walking? Perhaps there's somewhere you would have visited, but didn't, because you felt unsafe? Perhaps you avoid certain behaviors because of the potential for catching disease?
Overall, how often would you say that fear about your physical safety causes a behavioral change in your life?
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