10 Ways We Get Things Wrong

Psychology Today has an interesting article on fear, probability, and how we get things wrong. It’s not a very scannable article, so here’s an executive summary:

1. We Fear Snakes, Not Cars – Risk and emotion are inseparable
   
2. We Fear Spectacular, Unlikely Events – Fear skews risk analysis in predictable ways
3. We Fear Cancer But Not Heart Disease – We underestimate threats that creep up on us
4. No Pesticide in My Backyard—Unless I Put it There – We prefer that which (we think) we can control
5. We Speed Up When We Put Our Seatbelts On – We substitute one risk for another
6. Teens May Think Too Much About Risk—And Not Feel Enough – Why using your cortex isn’t always smart
7. Why Young Men Will Never Get Good Rates on Car Insurance – The “risk thermostat” varies widely
8. We Worry About Teen Marijuana Use, But Not About Teen Sports – Risk arguments cannot be divorced from values
9. We Love Sunlight But Fear Nuclear Power – Why “natural” risks are easier to accept
10. We Should Fear Fear Itself – Why worrying about risk is itself risky