Why we like feeling scared
- 5 years ago
Sweaty palms, a pounding heart, tense muscles and faster breathing. Not everyone likes the feeling of being scared, but for some, riding roller coasters, watching horror films or leaping out of planes can be an enjoyable experience.
Why?
First, because it can feel good. When we are scared, our arousal levels soar. The brain releases a chemical cocktail of feel-good hormones like dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline and endorphins. This is probably a quirk of human evolution; when confronted with danger, a hit of hormones prepares us for flight or fight.
Second, although people may think they like being scared, what they may actually enjoy more is the sense of resolution and relief that comes at the end of watching a film in which a character they identify with triumphs, or a nasty monster dies. And once the fear has subsided, they may feel a sense of achievement. Just as arousal feels good, the psychological and biological comedown from it is pleasurable as well.
Third, people respond differently to scary experiences, and some people simply enjoy them more. These thrill seekers thrive on high levels of arousal and will seek out activities most people would prefer to avoid — like jumping out of planes or climbing mountains — in search of their next high.
But measuring exactly how people respond to fear remains tricky, because tests are typically done in the safe and rather unexciting confines of the laboratory—and ethics codes mean there are limits to how scary experiments are allowed to be.
For more multimedia content from The Economist visit our website: http://econ.st/1odVQnG
Why?
First, because it can feel good. When we are scared, our arousal levels soar. The brain releases a chemical cocktail of feel-good hormones like dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline and endorphins. This is probably a quirk of human evolution; when confronted with danger, a hit of hormones prepares us for flight or fight.
Second, although people may think they like being scared, what they may actually enjoy more is the sense of resolution and relief that comes at the end of watching a film in which a character they identify with triumphs, or a nasty monster dies. And once the fear has subsided, they may feel a sense of achievement. Just as arousal feels good, the psychological and biological comedown from it is pleasurable as well.
Third, people respond differently to scary experiences, and some people simply enjoy them more. These thrill seekers thrive on high levels of arousal and will seek out activities most people would prefer to avoid — like jumping out of planes or climbing mountains — in search of their next high.
But measuring exactly how people respond to fear remains tricky, because tests are typically done in the safe and rather unexciting confines of the laboratory—and ethics codes mean there are limits to how scary experiments are allowed to be.
For more multimedia content from The Economist visit our website: http://econ.st/1odVQnG