Article created by: Ieva Pečiulytė
It may sound counterintuitive that when outside threats decrease, we manipulate ourselves into finding new ones, even if they are completely benign. However, researchers found exactly that; we are often tricked by our own perception and see threats that aren’t actually there.
So in an attempt to explore our misconceptions, Reddit user ThexLoneWolf made a post on the platform, asking everyone to list the things that society portrays as dangerous but in reality are pretty safe. From animals to medical procedures, here are some of the most popular replies they’ve received.
Do you think foxes EAT PEOPLE????
Quicksand. We were misled by ’80s action films. It’s pretty hard to actually die in it.
(Conversely, regular old riptides in the ocean are WAY more dangerous than people think).
Movies really do sharks dirty. Wouldn’t say they’re completely safe, but definitely no where near as dangerous as perceived to be.
Using a sharp knife in cooking. It’s actually far more dangerous to use a dull knife.
Bees and wasps. I used to get stung a lot when I was a kid but I learned that if you don’t wave your arms like a lunatic they’ll leave you a lone. Also don’t throw rocks at their nest and you should be okay.
I’m sure other people have said, but trick or treating. Any danger in d***s or razor blades in candy is wildly overblown in actuality I think there have been only one or two instances of someone actually being malicious with their candy handouts.
This is kind of a meta answer, but I’ve injured myself a lot more doing stupid projects around the house than I have while on duty in an actual dangerous industrial jobsite. Universally because I didn’t do a proper pre-work analysis and ensure I was using PPE.
Alligators. They are big and look scary but don’t generally attack humans and don’t consider us prey. Florida has millions of gators but only averages like 8 unprovoked attacks per year with about one fatal death every 3 years. They are dangerous to small pets, however, and I’m pretty sure many of those attacks are from trying to save a pet. But alligators are everywhere is Florida so it’s quite surprising how few attacks there are.
My step mom is convinced that if a steak has any pink in the middle (I’m talking about anything less then well done) that its raw and will give you Salmonella.
Nuclear waste, specifically the high-level spent fuel that needs to be dropped in cooling ponds for years. Make no mistake, it can absolutely [unalive] you if you’re exposed to the neutron emissions, but once it’s cooled off, it’s melted down into glass and sealed away in concrete casks. For all intents and purposes, these casks are indestructible; you could hit them with a runaway train and they wouldn’t break open. They can also be sealed away in deep boreholes underground for billions of years, more than enough time for the radioactive elements to decay to harmless amounts. When it’s handled correctly, nuclear waste may be the safest kind of waste there is. Ash from coal power plants emits far more radioactive particles than a nuclear reactor ever will, and it’s handled way less responsibly.
My dad is an electrician, and he taught me when I was pretty young how to fix electrical things, so I am always amused at how terrified people are by anything to do with electricity.
Changing the brakes on your car. They’re trivially easy to do, don’t require any special tools outside of a torque wrench, and dealer and mechanic prices are outrageous (parts can be found online for a fraction of the dealer price at places like AutoHausAZ, and shop rates for labor are super expensive). It’s pretty hard to screw up, and can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Roller Coasters and Amusement Park Rides: While these rides may seem scary, they are designed with strict safety regulations and are statistically very safe.
Tandem Skydiving – strongest safety statistics of any type of jump, with only 0.003 fatalities per thousand jumps over the past 10 years. You’re more likely to be struck by lightning or win the lottery than to die on a tandem skydive. Only done it twice, but such an incredible experience and rush….
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