Someone pulls a gun on you at a grocery store. They tell you to get on your knees...

[Gravitycollapse]

You're on the ground now and you feel the cold steel of the gun pressed up against the back of your head.

Why are you panicking?






(I'm seeking an explanation for why you think the primary emotional reaction to certain death is fear.)

[Bonobo]

1. I think in this case, it is not certain death.

The fear is because you think you MIGHT die, not because you KNOW you WILL die.

Maybe?

[Gravitycollapse]

3. Okay, then in that case, why do you fear the possibility of death?

[Bonobo]

4. Because death is the loss of the known.

You are grounded in, cemented by and defined by what you know, by your memories and by the story of your life that your consciousness, day to day, has woven together into a narrative of "who you are".

The "being" that is you. That "entity" that owns what you own, knows what you know and remembers what you remember has gained the illusion of permanence and solitariness -separateness from everything that is NOT you.

The loss of anything permanent or semi-permanent is frightening. Stripped of what we own in general, we are left feeling loss. But stripped of everything including our existence is frightening because our identities are us. Without them, we are nothing. And to be nothing is to to not matter, to have no import.

Maybe?

[LostOne4Ever]

6. Because of those left behind

Those who depend on me. Those who love me. Those who would be hurt if I was taken away without so much as a chance to say good bye.

Because there is so much I want to do and have not accomplished.

Because I like living. Because Evolution has developed into me the desire to live.

I fear death for these reasons. I think many people fear death because they have no idea what happens to us after we die. But that is not the case for me. For I know that where death is I am not, and where I am death is not.

[valerief]

23. Cuz life is all we have. And gun = death. nt

[NoOneMan]

2. Evolution

[TDale313]

8. Pretty much.

[TDale313]

5. Hmmm. Not sure I totally understand the question.

But I think fear is kind of our internal alarm system. It's basically telling you you're in danger, and it's primal and it's tied into the fight-or-flight response. It's not just in humans, either.

[LadyHawkAZ]

41. This.

[LuvNewcastle]

7. Death is separation, separation from everything you love, and it is final.

When you die, everything you love might as well be dead too because you'll never see any of it again. Not only are you losing everything you love, you're losing yourself. You mourn for yourself, too. You will not be you anymore, and that is the ultimate loss.

[Deep13]

9. I would never comply with a demand for immobility.

Most people are crummy shots with a handgun, even against stationary targets. If someone pulls a gun on you, RUN! Accuracy rapidly diminishes with movement and distance.

[napkinz]

43. doesn't it depend on how close they are to you?

Should you run if they are standing right in front of you or just a few feet away?

Or -- if you are that close -- should you "go for the gun" or the arm of the person?

[Deep13]

44. If you comply, you're dead, of course. ...

so the only real question is how constricted the escape path is. If there isn't room to run, you might have to fight, but that is likely to end in being shot. If at all possible, opening distance is the best option. It takes less than 2 seconds to cover 50 feet on a run. 3 seconds and you're 75 feet away.

[napkinz]

45. so if the person says get on your knees, you should just run?

Second, what if they are behind you and you are forced to your knees and they put the gun against the back of your neck or head?

Do you comply hoping that by cooperating they will do their businesss and not shoot you -- or do you fight back (because they might shoot you regardless)?


Thanks

[Deep13]

46. Well, if he overpowers you physically before you can run...

...I guess it's game over.

If by "force" you mean he tells you to get on your knees...run. Suppose "their business" is rape? Or rape and murder. Or kidnapping. If you go with him, you're dead.

[napkinz]

47. It's so confusing

Because they always tell workers -- whether it be someone working behind the counter at a Burger King or a bank teller -- to COMPLY when someone with a gun points it at that person and makes demands. (Should they run or comply? What's to stop the gunman from shooting them anyway, which DOES happen.)

I suppose there's no one RIGHT answer because it all depends on the person holding the gun. It just seems there are so many variables, it's almost impossible to know what the right decision is. What might be the right thing to do in one situation with one particular gunman might save your life, where with another gunman it would get you killed.

[Jenoch]

10. I'm 6'3" and 230".

If I were in that situation, I'll attack and grab the weapon. After I have the gun, I'll kick the shit out of him until I determine he is acting alone.

[Gravitycollapse]

11. Then disregard the circumstances that brought you to your knees.

How you got to this circumstance is of little consequence. What is important is you are now on your knees with a gun to the back of your head.

The situation you find yourself in does not afford you the opportunity to defend yourself. Your life is in the hands of the gunman. If you move, you will die.


Are you panicking? If so, why?

[Luminous Animal]

14. Because when I am dead, I can no longer love.

[Jenoch]

18. The circumstance is of great consequence.

I never was on my knees. I already prevailed.

[Nye Bevan]

27. Because my death would be devastating to my wife and kids (nt)

[Ranchemp.]

42. There is always the opportunity to defends one's self.

In my profession, we train extensively for just such a scenario, there are numerous moves that can be taken to disarm the subject without getting injured/killed.
The key is not to panic and consider all your options.

[catbyte]

13. athat happened to my husband 20 years ago when he was working at a convenience store.

Two armed men came in & ordered him to his knees. Chuck complied with everything they demanded. They got what they wanted & Chuck was unhurt. They struck again 2 weeks later at another place. The worker tried to fight back & was shot & killed. Chuck said that his mind went blank & all he could think about was how best to get out of it so he could see me again. He said it was the weirdest experience of his life & that his senses turned into supersenses. I think I was more uppset than he was. The robbers are still in prison & will be until they leave in a box. In MI, murder 1 is LWOP.

[Jenoch]

17. You are describing

different circumstances than is the OP. I am glad your husband survived his terrible experience.

[RandiFan1290]

20. lol

Maybe the gunman is 6'4" 231

Not so tough now, are ya?

[Orrex]

30. In that case, let us know where to send flowers

So that we don't have a mad scramble when it comes up.

[B Calm]

35. Sure you would, lol. .

You would be just like the majority of people and do whatever the guy holding the gun tells you to do! The only heroes out there are dead.

[Jenoch]

39. Tell that to John Masterson.

[Downwinder]

12. Death is inevitable.

We are taught to fear it. Fear gives control.

[Katashi_itto]

15. Well if this were the situation. I would know I was about to have that ultimate question answered

finally. Is there going to be an afterlife? Some existence of the consciousness?

That frankly would be my attitude. I would also be grateful that I was given enough time to prepare, even if it was only seconds.

[Jamaal510]

16. A person only

has one life to lose. Once they get shot and die, it's a rap.
None of us know for sure what death feels like or what happens in the afterlife, plus it is natural for humans to fear the unknown, anyway.

[GreenEyedLefty]

19. I think at that point my eyes would be closed and I would be hoping it doesn't hurt.

This is a terrible thing to contemplate.

[cali]

21. seriously? you don't know the answer to this? instinct. evolution

pretty basic. make that extremely basic. As basic as breathing, eating, shitting and fucking.

[CFLDem]

22. Fear for me

comes from loss of control and the unknown and leaving family behind.

Aka pretty rational reasons to shit yourself.

[B Calm]

24. This just happened to a friend of mine in an Auto Zone store

in Kansas City, Missouri. This guy is around 6' 3" and over 300 pounds. He was terrified as they took his wallet and stomped on his cell phone.

[Shankapotomus]

25. Probably for the same reason

a wild deer panics when a human tries to get too close to them. Thousands of years of repeated violent interactions with other humans and other animals outside your immediate family and tribe and we evolve a fear mechanism for "Outsiders." It's probably somewhat suppressed in our modern world but it's still there.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

26. If they are going to shoot me

they can shoot me while I stand............

[alcibiades_mystery]

28. I have my daughter put her boots and coat on, then I do the same

I make sure she has her lunch, then grab my bookbag. With that, we step out the door.

Why am I not afraid, walking out my door in the city of Chicago. Why am I not so scared of what will happen outside my door that I thrust a .44 down my trousers like the fucking Son of Sam?

Because I'm not a gun nut shithead, and the world out there is not that scary.

[reflection]

29. Why, indeed.

"Why should I fear death? If I am, death is not. If death is, I am not. Why should I fear that which can only exist when I do not?" — Epicurus Epicurus

Sounds great on paper, but I know I'd be panicking all the same.

[Orrex]

31. I would say "is that a pistol against the back of my head?"

"Or are you just happy to see me?"

[Tommy_Carcetti]

32. Because you might die?

And you don't want to die?

I don't understand your puzzlement over this.

[jsr]

33. Self-preservation is a basic instinct

[JoePhilly]

34. Having actually had a gun pressed up against my head ...

... I have some observations.

If you have hair, you do not feel the "cold" steel.

You do feel the weight of the gun, however.

The feeling, at least in my case, was not fear. I was more surprised or stunned than anything else. Kind of a sense of disbelief.

The guy said ... "Don't say a word". And I said, "ok".

And he pulled the trigger. There was a very loud metallic CLICK. It made the gun vibrate against my head.

Then he and the other guy (who I had not seen at all), started to laugh like crazy.

And they took off running and laughing. Apparently, the gun wasn't loaded.

It was at this point, as I thought about what happened, that's when I became scared, scared they might return.

It only occurred to me a while afterwards that by saying "ok", I had not actually followed his instructions.

I doubt those claiming that they would attack this guy and take the gun have any idea what they would actually do.

My sense is the only way that some one could get out of that situation, realistically, without a lot of luck, would be through lots and lots of training.

The reality is that in such a situation, you are probably caught off guard. So your ability to come up with a plan is greatly diminished. The response plan for something of this nature has to be one that can be summoned, with almost no delay.

[riderinthestorm]

36. Fear of pain for me. At least that's what I first think

Or permanently disabled. ..

[uppityperson]

40. Me too. Fear of pain, being disabled, not death.

[pnwmom]

37. Personally, I don't think I would be feeling fear.

Shock and numbness. The fear would come later, if I lived.

[snooper2]

38. you don't panic that's full of all kinds of fail LOL

You pull a move--

some demonstrations-

Then I would probably prefer to punch the person repeatedly in the throat. Maximum pain without hurting your hand--