47 percent
Percentage of Americans who are “somewhat worried” or “very worried” that they or someone in their family could be the victim of terrorism. That number was 33 percent in 2014.
Seriously? I hope it’s just a pose because if people are serious about this, I’m scared for their mental health.
A certain percentage of Americans are afraid of a potential (if statistically unlikely) attack on their family not because it’s probable in their specific case — but because they recognize that their Commander-in-Chief, who is supposed to be protecting the entire country, is detached to be point of being semi-delusional about the actual threat to our nation — and talks nonsense about defeating ISIS with domestic gun control and a ridiculous international climate summit that couldn’t even succeed in its own goal of defining enforceable rules for its own agenda.
It’s the generalized fear of a group of passengers in a stormy sea who see the storm coming, but realizes that an incompetent madman is at the helm of the ship.
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A few students of mine were in the US on 911 (one a few blocks from the WTC). Most were there on Camp America type things. They waited around until it was okay to fly again and returned to Poland.
One of them had been working as an au pair in a very small town not that far from where you are. She said the family she was staying with were afraid to leave the house for over a week imagining terrorists just outside the door waiting for them. She thought they were being ridiculous but held her peace (probably to not get fired).
This seems to be related to the sociological concept of Uncertainty Avoidance. Cultures with high levels of Uncertainty Avoidance (like Poland) worry a lot on a daily basis but are mostly unfazed by major disasters.
Lower Uncertainty Avoidance (like the US) typically means a lot less daily stress but hopelessness quickly sets in when Things Go Very Wrong.
More simply it’s possible to think of cultures in terms of optimism and pessimism. People in generally pessimistic countries are not unduly rattled in the face of disasters (it just shows them they were right). People in more optimistic cultures are far less prepared to deal with the aftermath of catastrophes (as it threatens their world view).
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Peope should actually be far more worried about dying in a road accident than terrorism, but they are so used to traffic that for some reason their perception filters block it out.
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That’s about fear of the known vs unknown. Driving is a known hazard so people don’t worry much about it, especially since it’s only a danger when you’re on the road (or nearby). And most drivers have undergone courses that teach them how to minimize danger creating more of an illusion of control.
Terrorism is an uncontrolable force that could strike anytime and anywhere which makes it a much more dreaded thing. There’s nothing that you can do to be absolutely safe from terrorism besides not leave home.
The percentage of likelihood has little to do with the degree of fear.
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If people spend their lives worrying about dying in traffic accidents, that’s just as pathological. Any form of anxiety is abnormal and destructive. Anxiety is highly treatable and there’s no reason for people to let it sap their energy.
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How did they define terrorism in this study?
I think people just map some of their low level free floating constant anxiety about their life onto things like terrorism because then fight-or-flight responses make some kind of sense.
Or they link their anxiety about social change onto terrorism.
Is it really a coincidence that Trump supporters are some of the most economically insecure people (his support is greatest among baby boomer Republicans who did not go to college) andsome of the most fearful people around terrorism?
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“I think people just map some of their low level free floating constant anxiety about their life onto things like terrorism because then fight-or-flight responses make some kind of sense.”
“Is it really a coincidence that Trump supporters are some of the most economically insecure people (his support is greatest among baby boomer Republicans who did not go to college)”
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Did you notice all the news coverage this morning of President Obama’s “major public announcement” of the U.S.’s updated policy on fighting ISIS, right after he finished consulting with Pentagon officials? Me neither.
He talked about all our “military gains” over ISIS, but didn’t announce ANY significant change in U.S. policy. So the “47 percent” whom Clarissa refers to in this post probably don’t feel any more secure now than they did 24 hours ago.
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I tried listening to it but got bored and dozed off. Electrifying the announcement was not.
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A conservative literary critic and college professor
Clarissa's Blog 
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