Panic
I believe that in no circumstance does it make sense to panic. Most people panic because they believe, at least subconsciously, that to do so will make the situation better. They resort to their animalistic instincts, and throw all reason and imagination out the window. Which, in turn, makes the situation worse. Which creates more panic. For examples, just look the banking panic that caused the Great Depression or the Salem Witch Trials. History itself is replete with frenetic and unwarranted bouts of panic.
Regardless of an individual's beliefs concerning the origin of our species, most will agree that our greatest human strengths center around our ability to reason, imagine, and create. Sure, animals think, but to compare their cognitive processes with ours is to compare a paper airplane to a 747. Different ballparks, different leagues- different cities, even.
That said, when the moment of crisis is forced upon us, it makes sense to rely on our greatest strengths. It seems counterintuitive, but the best plan is to act with the demeanor of a man who is ordering a ham sandwich.
Of course, rational behavior does not necessarily mean static behavior. If it is rationally prudent, by all means run. But have an idea of where to run and what to do when you get there. Weigh the odds of success and plan your next move ahead of time. Don't simply scream and hope for the best.
In the horror movies, people almost always die because they panic. Of course, this makes for a good movie. Unfortunately, it's also a reason why many people die in real life. Panic reduces us to animals, and almost never benefits us in a situation.
The movie that best encapsulated this philosophy was The Bourne Supremacy. Even while being chased by the police, he calmly studied the floorplan while listening in on their conversation. He knew that information was more valuable than the precious seconds he would get from simply running. However, he only realized that because he stopped to think about the situation.
Imagine the chaos that would ensue if people did everyday things in panic mode. Calling a friend. Ordering a pizza. Driving around town. Performing surgery. If panic is not a good option for those activities, how can it be a good option when we face the larger tests?
Regardless of an individual's beliefs concerning the origin of our species, most will agree that our greatest human strengths center around our ability to reason, imagine, and create. Sure, animals think, but to compare their cognitive processes with ours is to compare a paper airplane to a 747. Different ballparks, different leagues- different cities, even.
That said, when the moment of crisis is forced upon us, it makes sense to rely on our greatest strengths. It seems counterintuitive, but the best plan is to act with the demeanor of a man who is ordering a ham sandwich.
Of course, rational behavior does not necessarily mean static behavior. If it is rationally prudent, by all means run. But have an idea of where to run and what to do when you get there. Weigh the odds of success and plan your next move ahead of time. Don't simply scream and hope for the best.
In the horror movies, people almost always die because they panic. Of course, this makes for a good movie. Unfortunately, it's also a reason why many people die in real life. Panic reduces us to animals, and almost never benefits us in a situation.
The movie that best encapsulated this philosophy was The Bourne Supremacy. Even while being chased by the police, he calmly studied the floorplan while listening in on their conversation. He knew that information was more valuable than the precious seconds he would get from simply running. However, he only realized that because he stopped to think about the situation.
Imagine the chaos that would ensue if people did everyday things in panic mode. Calling a friend. Ordering a pizza. Driving around town. Performing surgery. If panic is not a good option for those activities, how can it be a good option when we face the larger tests?
I've witnessed that panic so many times over the years, and most often in drivers on the highway. Invariably they do the wrong thing because they panicked.
Example: Coming north out of Nashville a couple of months ago I was driving behind one of those large "duely" pick-up trucks. She started moving into the right lane. There was a car in that lane with it's front about even with her door and when he noticed she was moving into his lane, instead of just steering into the pull-off lane and slowing, he locked it up and whipped the wheel. This threw him into a 180° spin and he skidded across the pull-off lane slamming the left side of his car into the concrete retaining wall, then another 180 almost into my lane before coming to a stop. I just steered around him, slowed and noticed several cars stopping so I went on.
Posted by
Fish-2 |
9:41 AM