Why is the unknown so much more frightening than the known?

Question

If presented with two options, both equally as dangerous, in one the facts ar explained and there is no doubt left and the other one is completely unknown most people would chose the known over the unknown.

So why is the unknown so much more frightening than the known, why would people walk down a lit street that has violent people roaming on it instead of walking down an apparently empty alleyway for example?

Please explain your answers.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Interesting question!

My own reading of the case is as follows.

Our experience has shown that knowledge is power.

We always want to control and power is one of the enablers for making control possible.

In the case of the known situation, we feel in control because of the power of knowledge...... it is just the feeling and not necessarily the reality.

In the case of the unknown, we feel out of control and helpless... again it is just the feeling and not necessarily the reality.

Those of us who are highly enterprising do overcome the said feeling and look for opportunities in the realms of the unknown. They believe in the saying.... no risk, no gain!!

Answer 2

Frankly, I would walk down the empty alleyway. But in answer to your question , it is a matter of imagination being much more capable of frightening imagery than reality. In your imagination , there are much worse things than violent people.
But there are also wondrous things. It's a terrible shame to be afraid of the unknown. Not everybody is, or there would never be a new invention, or there would have never been space exploration etc.

Answer 3

I guess it comes down to human nature and the fight or flight response to any situation. If its a known situation, one has time to think about one's actions. In a way, to be prepared, you think you know what you would do when confronted by the situation. Take your example of the violent thugs down a lit street. There is lighting, so one might think others will see what is occuring (safety point), you can see how many thugs are present and what gender they are (safety point), one can work out an exit, can size up where the exit is to the vacinity of the thugs.

In contrast to this, its human nature to think worst case scenario if you don't know about a situation ie. we first panic at an unknown situation, worry, then sometimes work through solutions to the situation or just freeze. Example two: empty alleyway. May not be lit (can't see immediate exit point), will be unnerved by any sudden movements, shadows or noises (natural defence mechanism), feel the urge to get out of the situation.

Just my thoughts. :)

Answer 4

For some reason at the back of me it replaced into traveling large distances on my own (for this reason a transatlantic flight). I saved thinking what IF some thing happens to me whilst so a procedures away. What if i'm getting sick and there is basically strangers around me?! stupid, i understand! yet I had by no skill finished that till now, as I had continuously travelled with an stronger half, acquaintances or kinfolk, and the belief of being thoroughly on my own looked fairly frightening to me, yet once I did it I realised that it replaced into no longer undesirable in any respect, and felt fairly risk-free! i'm happy i desperate to be courageous, and enable a wish, love and a feeling of journey take me there and set me loose from that previous concern. of direction being greeted with a stunning face and a heat smile or 2 upon arrival easily helped ;-) yet that replaced into after an 8 hour journey all on my own. different than that, i'm no longer apprehensive with the aid of plenty. daily we bump into unknowns, one way or yet another. I refuse to stay my life in concern, and if some thing else have been to frighten me, i could make it a undertaking to triumph over that concern as properly.

Answer 5

the unknown is more frightening simply because it gives your mind more room for possibilities...

in a lit street with violent people, you were already given the situation. Therefore, you are aware of every possibility that could take place. While in an empty alleyway, you mind lingers on every dangerous fearful possibility that may surface...

the fact is already presented for the known... everything is laid for you to prepare for. while the unknown gives you more room for doubt as to how or to what extent are you going to prepare for yourself.

Answer 6

I don't know if I would be more afraid of the unexplained option ... particularily IF you have explained to me that both options are EQUALLY as dangerous... STRANGELY enough I think I MIGHT actually select the UNEXPLAINED option .. that way I would react and act on instinct ( which generally for me is better) instead of THINKING what I might do in a certain situation....

I generally WOULD select the walking down the dark alley in preference to walking where there are violent people... but I would be wary that I MAY not actually BE alone....

Answer 7

the unknown is much more frightening than the known for the simple reason that we can come to some sort of decision based on the knowledge we have about the known situation..there is no basis to come to any sort of conclusion on the unknown situation. In reality the known situations are also quite frightening!

Answer 8

if you speak English, you probably have no idea what being frightened means. In other parts of the worlds there are lots of really bad things that drive people screaming into the unknown.

Answer 9

frightening no- exciting.

Travel the path less travelled and you will constantly be surprised by the wonders you find.

it is all about attitude and being comfortable, get out of your comfort zone and you become fearful of the unknown true- but if you do this often enough it becomes routine and well exciting..

Answer 10

Because it is different to what is held as the accepted norm. People who are genuinely affected by change generally do so out of fear of incapability or their own redundancy.