4 ms·

Not all of us use your personal dictionary.

mikekchar 7y ago
Are there times when "panic" is an appropriate response to something? I mean it is often an understandable response, but I have to agree that my understanding of the term is that is a response to being overwhelmed and responding haphazardly as a result. Is that an accurate description of what's happening? The actual article is a bit light to really understand. I wonder if it's the "chain reaction" across individual trees that is what they are describing as "panic".
- undreren 7y ago
  Just because it is a hard to name a concrete situation, where panic is a good survival strategy for the individual, it can not be concluded that nature is not ripe with situations, where panic saves the flock. Also, it would seem that the panic response is evolved for the benefit of the flock, not the individual, as it spreads rapidly; if one person panics, more will follow suit.
- hoseja 7y ago
  Say, when you are being chased by a lion.
- coldtea 7y ago
  >Are there times when "panic" is an appropriate response to something? Yes. When something is panic inducing. Note that the bad connotations of panic are for not panic worthy situations (e.g. don't panic when you just lost your wallet, etc). But when chased by a predator, a panic response is a good, and evolutionary created, way, to get from 0-60 mph adrenaline and speed wise... A gazelle doesn't sit still and weigh the situation calmly. It panics and starts to run for its life...
  - pbhjpbhj 7y ago
    I think "panic" is a segment between realising you're in danger and responding, eg "running". Panic is when you know you need to respond quickly and come to a conclusion as to the best action, but you know you can't wait for your thought process to play through. Once you decide to move, run (if that wasn't an instinctive response), then panic is over and action has ensued. It's the "beachball of doom" bit that happens when the you spot the lion. Do I fight, or hide, or run, ... {computing best response, please wait} ... it's the wait in that parenthetical bit where your supervisory control systems say "argh, this is taking too long, in going to get eaten". Surely? The dictionary.com definition has it as "overwhelming fear that causes a sudden hysterical or irrational behaviour". Running from a predator is rational, or instinctive.
    - UnFleshedOne 7y ago
      By this definition panic can also be a instinctive (and rational) action -- sometimes just breaking paralysis and doing something is a statistically better than freezing in place. So it serves as an early interruption mechanism when the system doesn't have confidence that new solutions will be forthcoming in time to be useful.
  - Zenbit_UX 7y ago
    Couldn't disagree more with your definition, panicking is never a desirable action. Being chased by a predator and you run? Are humans likely the fastest animals? Most predators are much faster than us and would gladly give chase. The only way out is to outsmart it and you can't do that if you're panicking. The word itself carries an undesirable connotation and is never - by definition - the best course of action.
    - coldtea 7y ago
      >Couldn't disagree more with your definition, panicking is never a desirable action Well, complains should be directed to evolution. >Being chased by a predator and you run? Are humans likely the fastest animals? Depends on the predator, for humans it will many times be other humans (or other homo species), and the extra boost panic mode gives you can very much help. Besides you don't have to merely run, you can run and hide, run and jump on some tree, etc. >The only way out is to outsmart it and you can't do that if you're panicking. You don't care much for outsmarting and subtle strategy when it's life or death either. From Wikipedia: "An evolutionary psychology explanation is that early animals had to react to threatening stimuli quickly and did not have time to psychologically and physically prepare themselves. The fight or flight response provided them with the mechanisms to rapidly respond to threats against survival." If I come at you screaming with a knife would you sit and think how to outsmart me for a while, or start to panic / hide behind something / run trying to escape/avoid me? I'd like to see someone try the former... >The word itself carries an undesirable connotation and is never - by definition - the best course of action That's at the human cultural level, where it's 99.99% applied to non life-threatening situations, one should not worry as much about. On the evolutionary/animal level, panic (aka fight or flight) is an excellent mechanism to stay alive...
- anoncake 7y ago
  If panic was never appropriate, the ability to panic either would never have developed or disappeared in humans a long time ago.
  - Firadeoclus 7y ago
    Only if it was sufficiently detrimental, and did not arise as a byproduct of other, evolutionarily beneficial changes. If it had "disappeared in humans a long time ago" then that still implies a time when it existed. And if it could have existed, it could exist now.
  - mrfredward 7y ago
    The word "panic" is usually used to describe someone behaving irrationally. If you see a guy running from a lion, you don't say "he's panicking". If you see a guy pacing and sweating because he has to do his taxes, you do say "he's panicking". Many of the same biological mechanisms are at work, but the word is most commonly used when those mechanisms lead you astray.
- not2personal 7y ago
  A fire. Its best to not casually stroll out of a building that is consumed in flames. A sense of urgency is helpful.
- NeutronStar 7y ago
  Panic: a sudden overpowering fright Fright: fear excited by sudden danger ... Panic: a sudden overpowering fear excited by sudden danger
narag 7y ago
Not all of us use your personal dictionary. Well, that's unfortunate because his definition happens to be the right one.
BurningFrog 7y ago
Give it time!

Are there times when "panic" is an appropriate response to something? I mean it is often an understandable response, but I have to agree that my understanding of the term is that is a response to being overwhelmed and responding haphazardly as a result. Is that an accurate description of what's happening? The actual article is a bit light to really understand. I wonder if it's the "chain reaction" across individual trees that is what they are describing as "panic".

undreren 7y ago
Just because it is a hard to name a concrete situation, where panic is a good survival strategy for the individual, it can not be concluded that nature is not ripe with situations, where panic saves the flock. Also, it would seem that the panic response is evolved for the benefit of the flock, not the individual, as it spreads rapidly; if one person panics, more will follow suit.
hoseja 7y ago
Say, when you are being chased by a lion.
coldtea 7y ago
>Are there times when "panic" is an appropriate response to something? Yes. When something is panic inducing. Note that the bad connotations of panic are for not panic worthy situations (e.g. don't panic when you just lost your wallet, etc). But when chased by a predator, a panic response is a good, and evolutionary created, way, to get from 0-60 mph adrenaline and speed wise... A gazelle doesn't sit still and weigh the situation calmly. It panics and starts to run for its life...
- pbhjpbhj 7y ago
  I think "panic" is a segment between realising you're in danger and responding, eg "running". Panic is when you know you need to respond quickly and come to a conclusion as to the best action, but you know you can't wait for your thought process to play through. Once you decide to move, run (if that wasn't an instinctive response), then panic is over and action has ensued. It's the "beachball of doom" bit that happens when the you spot the lion. Do I fight, or hide, or run, ... {computing best response, please wait} ... it's the wait in that parenthetical bit where your supervisory control systems say "argh, this is taking too long, in going to get eaten". Surely? The dictionary.com definition has it as "overwhelming fear that causes a sudden hysterical or irrational behaviour". Running from a predator is rational, or instinctive.
  - UnFleshedOne 7y ago
    By this definition panic can also be a instinctive (and rational) action -- sometimes just breaking paralysis and doing something is a statistically better than freezing in place. So it serves as an early interruption mechanism when the system doesn't have confidence that new solutions will be forthcoming in time to be useful.
- Zenbit_UX 7y ago
  Couldn't disagree more with your definition, panicking is never a desirable action. Being chased by a predator and you run? Are humans likely the fastest animals? Most predators are much faster than us and would gladly give chase. The only way out is to outsmart it and you can't do that if you're panicking. The word itself carries an undesirable connotation and is never - by definition - the best course of action.
  - coldtea 7y ago
    >Couldn't disagree more with your definition, panicking is never a desirable action Well, complains should be directed to evolution. >Being chased by a predator and you run? Are humans likely the fastest animals? Depends on the predator, for humans it will many times be other humans (or other homo species), and the extra boost panic mode gives you can very much help. Besides you don't have to merely run, you can run and hide, run and jump on some tree, etc. >The only way out is to outsmart it and you can't do that if you're panicking. You don't care much for outsmarting and subtle strategy when it's life or death either. From Wikipedia: "An evolutionary psychology explanation is that early animals had to react to threatening stimuli quickly and did not have time to psychologically and physically prepare themselves. The fight or flight response provided them with the mechanisms to rapidly respond to threats against survival." If I come at you screaming with a knife would you sit and think how to outsmart me for a while, or start to panic / hide behind something / run trying to escape/avoid me? I'd like to see someone try the former... >The word itself carries an undesirable connotation and is never - by definition - the best course of action That's at the human cultural level, where it's 99.99% applied to non life-threatening situations, one should not worry as much about. On the evolutionary/animal level, panic (aka fight or flight) is an excellent mechanism to stay alive...
anoncake 7y ago
If panic was never appropriate, the ability to panic either would never have developed or disappeared in humans a long time ago.
- Firadeoclus 7y ago
  Only if it was sufficiently detrimental, and did not arise as a byproduct of other, evolutionarily beneficial changes. If it had "disappeared in humans a long time ago" then that still implies a time when it existed. And if it could have existed, it could exist now.
- mrfredward 7y ago
  The word "panic" is usually used to describe someone behaving irrationally. If you see a guy running from a lion, you don't say "he's panicking". If you see a guy pacing and sweating because he has to do his taxes, you do say "he's panicking". Many of the same biological mechanisms are at work, but the word is most commonly used when those mechanisms lead you astray.
not2personal 7y ago
A fire. Its best to not casually stroll out of a building that is consumed in flames. A sense of urgency is helpful.
NeutronStar 7y ago
Panic: a sudden overpowering fright Fright: fear excited by sudden danger ... Panic: a sudden overpowering fear excited by sudden danger

narag 7y ago

Not all of us use your personal dictionary. Well, that's unfortunate because his definition happens to be the right one.

BurningFrog 7y ago

Give it time!