Facing Fear: Sept. 11 reaction a tragedy for us and a triumph for the terr

[nosmokes]

original
October 24, 2004

Facing Fear: Sept. 11 reaction a tragedy for us and a triumph for the terrorists

By Robert Mauro,
Myron Rothbart and John Orbell
For The Register-Guard
We live in a nation permeated by fear, and we see its effects in the decisions being made. Fear distorts our perceptions and constrains our ability to reason. As we face a critical presidential election, we must find a way to see the world as it is and think clearly. We must find a way to conquer the effects of our fears. We cannot afford to make a poor decision.

On Sept. 11, 2001, we were the victims of psychological - as well as physical - attacks. Terrorists seek to cause damage through the manipulation of fear. The attacks by themselves had little effect on the nation's economic or military might. As horrible and tragic as these events were, it was the fear that they generated and the actions that we took as a result of that fear that caused widespread damage.

Although the probability of any one of us being the victim of a terrorist attack is minuscule, and certainly much less than the risk of being killed in a traffic accident, people stopped traveling, became suspicious of new ideas, stopped investing. The government reacted with simple-minded and largely ineffective measures. The result has been an economic and political tragedy and a triumph for the terrorists.

Fear has powerful effects on our thinking. When people are anxious or afraid, their mental horizons narrow - they find it hard to keep more than a few ideas in mind at once, and complex problems become difficult to solve. Incredibly poor choices may be made, so long as they are simple and appear on the surface to solve the problem.
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complete article at original
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Robert Mauro is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Oregon who studies emotion and decision-making. John Orbell is an emeritus UO professor of political science specializing in models of rationality. Myron Rothbart is an emeritus UO professor of psychology who studies prejudice and categorical thinking.
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Copyright 2004 The Register-Guard

[KC21304]

1. Great article.Best I have read about the subject.

Thanks for sharing.