My friend characterizes my fear of flying as an "irrational fear." I think it is very rational not to want to die in a plane crash. I have flown several times, however I have realized that I don't want to fly in the future unless it is absolutely necessary. I know statistically it is improbable that a plane will crash, however, I don't think the people that have died in plane crashes were giving a damn about statistics. I have been trying google "irrational fear" to get a solid definition, but I can only get the words defined seperately. I do have fear. I don't think it's irrational. If you could choose how you were going to die, wouldn't you. Some people would rather drown than burn alive, and I bet some people would choose the latter over the former. I would rather die in a car wreck than a plane crash.
201890
It should be your choice.
52794
I believe that fear is usually something that is taught or learned through being observed.  Past experiments have shown that babies are seemingly 'fearless'.  They've had babies crawl across 'transparent' plexiglass bridges between to different elevated locations, without the 'fear' of falling from a certain height.  They've also shown babies who learn to swim at a very young age, without the fear of drowning at initial contact with water.\n\nI tend to think that the major stages of fear are 'dying', 'how one dies', and 'what happens' after death.  (Aside from other, lesser fears.)\n\nThe first stage is usually one that everyone witnesses and knows exists.  The second is similar, but usually unknown as to when, where and how.  The third, however, has not, at least in my opinion, been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that one should have that fear.
206752
plane plane plane plane , I checked out the video here , if you repeat something enough times,enough time goes by.... It was very interesting well worded but incorrect. All the statements were taken out of context. I have read the full conversations with living victims and witnesses, go over your memory of the day,a plane hit . Some of the photos here were taken days,weeks later. The truth is a plane hit with real people on it,real names faces,not a missile. What is real scary? It has been 60+ years since the concentration camps, some have been saying this documented horror never happened. We have something similar here but with misinformation and considerably sooner. Sometimes a duck is just a duck. This nightmare had an author and it was not the US government,nor most of its Muslim citizens,Israel,or a missile, unless you include an airplane used as a missile.\nPS what would really settle every ones mind would be to release the videos. I understand why they can't yet but in time it would be wise, it will end this insult and conjecture.
534600
,Travel Security -- Isn't it dangerous out there?\nSome people are put off from independent travel by the apparent risks. Not only can you get sick, or killed in a bus wreck, but there may be people trying to rob you, cheat you, rape you, drug your drink, or maybe even put a knife in your ribs. \n\nI wish I could tell you that all of this is rubbish. Unfortunately, these things do happen to travelers. What I can tell you, however, is that in most countries I have traveled, I feel as safe or safer than I do at home. You will hear many horror stories on the Road, and some of them really make you want to catch the next flight home. There are tales of travelers contracting incurable diseases you have never even heard of, being thrown in jail after the police planted drugs in their room, being robbed of all they own and left in the wilderness, or being knifed on the street by robbers. One reason I tell you these stories is so you will not panic when you inevitably hear them recited by other travelers.  "My God! No one ever told us about that!" \n\nThis is a long discussion, during which you will hear about dozens of ways you can lose your belongings to thieves, and a few ways that you may be physically harmed. It can be discouraging just reading about it. Don't worry, in the process I will tell you exactly what you can do to make the chances of your becoming a victim very small. In many countries the dangers are few and can be avoided with basic precautions. \n\nPeople often use the word dangerous to describe the danger of theft, not bodily harm; do not confuse theft-prone with physically dangerous. In some of the most dangerous countries and cities in the Third World, there is very little risk of being physically attacked. You can read of innocent people being shot down by mass-murderers in the USA, and terrorist bombings in Europe. Personally, I am far more frightened by these random acts of violence at home than by the methodical workings of criminals in the Third World, who are only after your money. Learn how they work, and you will be safe. \n\nOut on the Road, you enter a new way of life. There are different rules out there, and more precautions to be learned. The local people already know the rules. The sooner you learn them, the more problems you will avoid. When you take precautions, you will be safe. When you feel safe, you can enjoy your trip. \nPedestrian Hazards \n\nThere are still a few isolated communities in the world where the local people are as ignorant as opossums about the dangers of stepping onto a highway. But any Third World child who has survived in a city until the age of seven is better prepared to take care of her/himself than most western travelers. In the Third World, you must watch out for yourself, because no one else will protect you from hazards. It is a world without pedestrian areas, and you must learn to share your space with numerous vehicles -- and that means 'get out of the way or be run down'! \n\nJust being aware of everything around you will save you from several painful encounters with bicycles, pushcarts, motorcycles, and even cars and trucks. It seems that some people are just instinctively aware of everything, while others are naturally oblivious to 80% of their surroundings. In the Third World -- where survival of the fittest still applies and pedestrians are at the bottom of the food chain -- the oblivious types are eliminated through natural selection before they can reach puberty; while in the First World we have laws to protect the heedless. \n\nI am constantly amazed at how many Westerners (yes, Americans), at home and abroad, wonder around oblivious to the proximity of moving bicycles, autos, and other people. They seem to believe that it was God who passed all those laws to protect them. Regardless of my theories, you can greatly reduce your chances of mishap by training yourself to be aware of everything around you, so that you can anticipate approac
35628
Well, NORMAL, if you're simply afraid to die by the hand of someone else.  Although, I wouldn't think that this sort of thing would be prevalent in day to day life.  If it's somebody in particular, then I'd have to say guilty conscience, maybe?  Is it just in general?  You may have some paranoia or anxiety issues.  If you serious think someone (or everyone) is out to get you, then yes, that's paranoia.
326240
i want a pilot to answer me.i am not a susspecting person.i have been flying single prop planes as a hobby for the last 15 years.i cant immagin how can a man who just compleated his primery flying training flies a jumbo jet,aim it to a building and hit it so accurately\nhow both the hita came in places that led to the collapse of both the towers in a short time\ni really wonder,could the engeneers who designed the tower  know that such critical points exist in their towers.i dont belive in consperacy theoty,but honestly i am unable to immagine this.i am totally against terrorisim,totally against killing even an insect.i cant immagin the savage act of killing 3000 innocent people at all.
79653
I have had this dream a few times and it always scares me. I don't know how to fly but somehow I manage to get way up high and I'm afraid of falling, but never do. This question stirred up some weird feelings for me, something to ponder.
489084
You know - this is a lot like whisper down the lane.  Let's stop for a minute and think about this stuff rationally.\n\nFrom where I am sitting, I have found that there is no devil beyond our own worst emotions - and there is no hell beyond being steeped in our own worst emotions.  As far as I can see, we humans are running the show - but more like a bunch of college students on our own independent course of study.  We come, we learn, we go - we very likely come back again.\n\nSome deaths are tragic - and some have far reaching implications like nothing else in this world.  Some deaths are welcome - there comes a time when the journey is over, don't you think?\n\nGod is a little easier to understand if you think of it as the energy that powers this existence more than some old guy in the sky using us like Barbie dolls.  We all come here of our own choosing to learn something specific, not to be coddled and live in a paradise and do nothing.  It's meant to be a challenge.\n\nPeace!
180378
Death scares us all.  It is also a fact of life.  If we did not have an instinctual fear of death, we would not survive as a species.  The way you describe your fears sounds like it is more about being left alone, and you may want to talk with a counselor about that issue.  Loss is a big source of pain for all of us.  Perhaps you have lost a beloved relative or friend, and you hate that feeling.  Or maybe you are very attached to an older relative, and you cannot imagine life without him or her.  Talk to a mental health professional about your specific fears and associations with death.  If you are religious, you can also talk to our clergy. This is a VERY COMMON fear.  But you deserve relief, and counseling can help.
659398
No, but it's fun to make up stories about. I also heard that if you have any phobias (strong irrational fears) they came from how you died in a past life. I can understand some of that... like fear of water or drowning... but apparently I was killed by a clown and a lot of spiders... hmmm....
506909
Do I fear is a car is going to hit me, fear that I'll die from cancer, fear that I'll be mugged by a gang, that I'll be bombed / nuked, fear that I'll die tomorrow or years from now from old age?  Something, somewhere to anyone, anytime...there has always been illness, war, fear.  I reside in California and remember back in the 1960's that fathers were having bomb shelters built in their backyards due to outside bomb threat of another country....now here it is 2006 and there are still worries, different story, different decade.  I am attentive and caring of world affairs yet to go around worrying that I might die tomorrow or next year from some event...no.  Out of worry comes attentiveness and solutions or neglect, ill judgment and harm...we are wonderfully silly people on this planet...I do what I can and live my life.  I am a citizen who votes to put those in office to focus on issues you speak of while I still voice my concerns and opinions even after the fact.  But to worry . . .whatever the circumstances that takes my last human breath away and I am no longer on this planet...so be it.  I live in the today, am attentive and live my life.
325853
1st of all, the pilots of the plane are NOT going to fly an airliner into anything. The terrorists may kill them and fly the plane themselves, but it will not be the pilots. \n2nd of all, the plane will be shot down rather quickly, no matter where it is flying to...no ifs, ands, or buts about it. And 3rdly, I think that all the passengers would have had to be killed in this day and age...I no longer think we as passengers, are going to sit by like sheep and allow anyone else to kill us as in 9/11. If we are going to die, I, certainly for one, will go down fighting and take others with me...count on it.!
287210
It is okay to be afraid of something. Think about it, who cares what r u afraid of, if you r a good person??? Cme on, dont be scared, tell your friends. My fbest friend was shy to tell me that she is afraid of heigths. We went to adventure park (6 flags) and she went to 1 roller coaster with me. She looked so sick, i asked her what's the matter. And she told me her secret. \n  Better tell your friends about tha6t, maybe smeday u will get into a situation likemy friend. And cme on, who isn't scared of dogs?  I am scared of spiders.  What about it?\n  I m alive!!!!!!!
333371
There are instances where the phrase is correct. For instance, many people have died in the new teen hobby called car surfing. They hang on to the roof of a car while its going 40 mph and up. Doing something that dangerous simply for fun is incredibly stupid. If someone died from that, they really have no one to blame but themselves. Therefore the term would be correct in that instance. This is just one example, but I believe the term does make sense.
399260
People claim paranoia on your part out of fear of the unknown.\n\nWhat you are basically suggesting when you ask them about it is whether something out of the ordinary is taking place... which generally means something less inherantly predictable and understandable. \nSince people are afraid of what they don't understand, the last thing they want is for unpredictable circumstances of a potentially negative nature to be entering into their lives. As such they will try to blot such things out and deny their existence. Naturally if you are trying to tell them that such things are happening in the vicinity, whether it involves them or not, they see it as a potential threat and want to try and convince you that its not actually happening. \nThen again, they typically don't want to try and invest the time to convince you that it isn't real... especially when its more of an instinctual reaction than a well-reasoned one.... thus they will typically take the short route of immediately dismissing it as paranoia on your part, and telling you so.\n\nNaturally those who have already experienced it wouldn't be receiving any further disruption by your asking them about it.... but rather the fact that you too had witnessed the same thing as them would reassure them that it was more than just them at risk of the unknown... and moreover that more people experiencing it means more people to come to terms with it and understand it... thus making it less of a threat......... hence why THEY will agree and not cite it as paranoia.\n\n\nDoes that answer your question?
36392
Fear is a human (and even animal) reaction to an external or internal stimulus that falls within paramters unique to each organism.  Fear is highly individualized as are most emotions.  For example, a spider crawling on my arm might not be a sufficient stimulus for me to provoke fear, however, it might cause you to jump out of your skin.  \n\nIn humans, fear does not require an external stimulus (some animals also seem to be able to imagine fear as well).  The child who imagines a monster in a closet does not need an external stimulus to feel fear.\n\nFear is stimulated through the use of sensory organs and is entirely brain centric. Your brain has what's called a startle circuit. It runs through the mid- and lower brain, and is modulated by a structure in your brain called the amygdala.\n\nBecause fear is all in your mind, you can control it (this is where "courage" comes in).  However, there are two stages of fear, pre encouter and post encounter.  There are physiological components to be understood as well.  When the startle potentiation is activated, a small part of the brain called the hypothalamus which gets your heart pumping faster, dialates your eyes and in short, gets you ready for the final stage of fear, circa-strike.  This enable you to get extra energy sharper senses, etc, everything you need to fight off an attacker (hopefully).\n\nSo what is this all about?  Fear is an important component of an animals emotional makeup that allows the animal to survive.  Fear is healthy...it tells us when we are about to do something stupid and it also can give us an edge in a dangerous situation.  When controlled and managed properly (courage) it can allow us to do almost superhuman things.  \n\nThe difference between most animals and humans is that human have other choices than fight or flight when confronted with fear, unlike most animals.  We don't have to react according to our instincts and have communicative and other tools to deal with danger.\n\nHope this was helpful.
422863
I suspect you know this is true, but you wish it were otherwise.  That is, you don't disagree -- but you'd like to be able to disagree.\n\nI think the statement is completely true.  Death is nothing to the dead -- since they no longer experience anything.  But also, death is nothing to the living:  Since we can only die once and there's absolutely nothing we can do to prevent it, there's nothing to be gained from wondering or worrying about death.