[quote=benjammin While I was in Iraq, rational fear kept me alert and aware of my surroundings and thinking about what to do if... Irrational fear would've paralyzed me, made me do stupid things, and ultimately I would not have lasted as long as I did. [/quote]
Rational Fear: An excellent concept. Fear what you know can kill you, not what you think might kill you.
For example, there was 44,000 people killed last year in car wrecks. That means every day of the year, about 123 people die on the highways of America.
On the other hand, the total number of people killed in the US and Canada by a mountain lion from 1991 to 2003 was 10. That's T-E-N. Ten. The biggest risk you face going for a ride to see the woods the drive.
If you really want to know danger, go to the hospital.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/06/eveningnews/main2440767.shtml"Between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans die in hospitals each year, killed by their care, not by their disease..."
Oh, there's more..much more...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3603439.stmMy point: I think that a rational level of fear is healthy, but rationality comes only from being informed of the risks and being willing to accept not what you "know" but what is factual and objective.
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