How does everyone tolerate dangerous things that I can't?

[Winston]

I don't get something. Why am I so different from everyone? How do others tolerate some things so easily that I can't at all?

For example, the last time I got on a ski lift in Lake Tahoe, NV, I thought I was gonna die. I had to close my eyes and pray that God would get me through it. Right under me was a HUGE drop that could kill you if fell off. And the only thing between you and it was a thin wooden seat that was wobbling around hung by a cable overhead. There weren't even any seat belts. I was shivering so much that I could barely hold onto my ski poles. After that I swore I would never get on a ski lift again!

Yet EVERYONE else got on those ski lifts over and over again like it was no big deal! WTF?!

How can others tolerate being on a thin thread from death like that so easily?! I can't fathom it. It's totally incomprehensible to me.

Am I sane or insane?

Likewise, the last time I was on one of those cable box cars that glide up a mountain on a cable, I was screaming and panicking. I could not tolerate the terror of being thousands of feet in the air hung by only a wire. It was a horrible experience I never wanted to repeat again.

To me, stuff like this is like playing Russian roulette with real bullets. Yet everyone else got on it with no problem. And the staff girls at the top of the mountain said they ride it to work everyday like a routine.

How can that be?! I don't get it.

Also, eye doctors tell me that I am the ONLY one they've seen who cannot tolerate the bright light they shine into your eyes for long periods of time to check them, insinuating that everyone else is fine with it. But to me it's excruciating and I can't tolerate it even if I try to.

So again, why am I different from everyone else?!

Why can't I tolerate what everyone else can?!

Yet in another sense, I'm braver than the majority cause I can go against a group of people, and even stand against a whole crowd of people in person and defy/challenge them in the name of truth or something I believe in. Fighting for truth can turn me into the Incredible Hulk that has no fear. Plus with my superb skillful debating skills, I can debate anybody, including a group of people who are against me, and WIN.

Very few can do that.

So again, why am I so different from everyone?!

[ssjparris]

"...the last time I was on one of those cable box cars that glide up a mountain on a cable, I was screaming and panicking..." HAHAHAHA. I love winston.

i think if i was up there for the first time i would freak out too. i would try to do it over and over again to get used to it. but yes that is very very scary.

yes being different is truly a powerful thing my friend. i am unique. check me out i am a black guy. i talk proper. i am very intelligent just like you.
and my vibe fits perfectly with the majority of foreign countries except this one. you and i are like black sheep in a barn full of white sheep.
different is good.

[Enishi]

Many of those who think differently have different types of sensitivities and tolerance levels to various things.

A friend of mine who is also a deep thinker and felt ostracized in grade school couldn't tolerate roller coasters when we went to cedar point. Roller coasters don't bother me, but certain types of social interactions drive me insane. I can't stand it when people walk by me and randomly say "smile!" or get confused that I don't act overly optimistic about certain things.

[momopi]

I don't get something. Why am I so different from everyone? How do others tolerate some things so easily that I can't at all?
For example, the last time I got on a ski lift in Lake Tahoe, NV, I thought I was gonna die. I had to close my eyes and pray that God would get me through it. Right under me was a HUGE drop that could kill you if fell off. And the only thing between you and it was a thin wooden seat that was wobbling around hung by a cable overhead. There weren't even any seat belts. I was shivering so much that I could barely hold onto my ski poles. After that I swore I would never get on a ski lift again!

Only a small % of the people have acrophobia. You probably just never climbed a tree when you're young.

[Winston]

I don't get something. Why am I so different from everyone? How do others tolerate some things so easily that I can't at all?
For example, the last time I got on a ski lift in Lake Tahoe, NV, I thought I was gonna die. I had to close my eyes and pray that God would get me through it. Right under me was a HUGE drop that could kill you if fell off. And the only thing between you and it was a thin wooden seat that was wobbling around hung by a cable overhead. There weren't even any seat belts. I was shivering so much that I could barely hold onto my ski poles. After that I swore I would never get on a ski lift again!

Only a small % of the people have acrophobia. You probably just never climbed a tree when you're young.

I can climb a tree, if it's easy that is. But being a hundred feet in the air is something else.

Why do people get on ski lifts like it's a normal thing? Isn't it dangerous to be a hundred feet in the air sitting on a cheap small bench with no seat belts? How can that be safe?

I was born with a fear of heights. It was not learned. This disproves the people who think we are all born as blank slates.

[Rock]

I don't get something. Why am I so different from everyone? How do others tolerate some things so easily that I can't at all?
For example, the last time I got on a ski lift in Lake Tahoe, NV, I thought I was gonna die. I had to close my eyes and pray that God would get me through it. Right under me was a HUGE drop that could kill you if fell off. And the only thing between you and it was a thin wooden seat that was wobbling around hung by a cable overhead. There weren't even any seat belts. I was shivering so much that I could barely hold onto my ski poles. After that I swore I would never get on a ski lift again!

Only a small % of the people have acrophobia. You probably just never climbed a tree when you're young.

I can climb a tree, if it's easy that is. But being a hundred feet in the air is something else.

Why do people get on ski lifts like it's a normal thing? Isn't it dangerous to be a hundred feet in the air sitting on a cheap small bench with no seat belts? How can that be safe?

I was born with a fear of heights. It was not learned. This disproves the people who think we are all born as blank slates.

Like animals, we are born with certain instincts. I believe humans naturally fear 2 things right after birth - loud noises and heights (falling down).

BTW, I may be worse than you when it comes to heights. I get panicky on those lifts at the Orlando water parks (similar to ski lifts but much shorter in duration). Seriously, those ski lift seat seem so damn insecure, like it would be so easy to slip out and fall. I'm surprised I never read about accidents involving them.

[Winston]

Like animals, we are born with certain instincts. I believe humans naturally fear 2 things right after birth - loud noises and heights (falling down).

BTW, I may be worse than you when it comes to heights. I get panicky on those lifts at the Orlando water parks (similar to ski lifts but much shorter in duration). Seriously, those ski lift seat seem so damn insecure, like it would be so easy to slip out and fall. I'm surprised I never read about accidents involving them.

You mean you can't get on a ski lift either? Great, so I'm not the only one. But if fear of heights is innate, how do the masses get on ski lifts with no problem? When I complain about them, people look at me like I'm insane. But surely being 100 feet in the air on a small thin bench with no seat belts is unsafe is it not?

Aren't the majority insane anyway, as many great thinkers have said?

I also cannot walk across suspension bridges that are situated high in the air. Here is one in Vancouver, Canada called Capilano Suspension Bridge that is 400 feet in the air!



Most people are able to walk across it, albeit a bit nervously. But I and a few others couldn't. Why not? I tried but I couldn't tolerate that feeling of being in mid air that high up.

[Winston]

Here are some ski lifts. From below they don't look that high. But when you are on them, they look VERY damn high! Terrifying in fact.



A fall from them would obviously be fatal. How come it never happens? Weird.

[momopi]

On average, about 30 people die every year from skiing accidents in the French Alps, none of which are from falling off a ski lift. Your chance of getting killed is actually far higher on the ground. Sonny Bono, Michael Kennedy, John McWethy, etc. were killed in ski accidents by ramming into a tree.

[Enishi]

Extremely low deaths via ski lifts = workers and the public learn it isn't dangerous = relaxed attitude of those who use the ski lifts the most = others subconsciously notice their relaxation and thus don't feel worried themselves.

[Winston]

Many of those who think differently have different types of sensitivities and tolerance levels to various things.

A friend of mine who is also a deep thinker and felt ostracized in grade school couldn't tolerate roller coasters when we went to cedar point. Roller coasters don't bother me, but certain types of social interactions drive me insane. I can't stand it when people walk by me and randomly say "smile!" or get confused that I don't act overly optimistic about certain things.

That's a good point and good reasoning. If someone thinks differently, then they are probably sensitive to things that most aren't.

I've never understood why anyone would go on a roller coaster though. I mean the heights are bad enough, but the movement is horrific. That feeling of plummeting down causes your body's panic system to go off as it thinks you are going to die. It's TOTAL PAIN and no pleasure. So why would anyone pay to experience extreme pain without pleasure? I can't figure that out at all.

What is wrong with everyone???

The experience of roller coasters leaves my body, mind and emotions in a total state of wreck. Why would anyone enjoy that? I can never figure it out.

[Winston]

Another thing about roller coasters, if you hate them, don't go with an Asian group, cause Asians expect everyone to follow the group on every activity. If you tell an Asian group you are with that you are scared of roller coasters, they will keep pestering you and making you feel guilty like you let everyone down by not going on the ride.

Why do they do that? I hate that.

Momopi, why do Asians do that? I don't get them. It's a bad thing to do to force someone to go on a roller coaster which will put them through extreme pain and regret.

But Asians don't sympathize with such things. To them, following the group is more important than avoiding extreme pain and terror. No matter how many times I tell them "I cannot tolerate the experience of going on roller coasters! I can't!" they keep saying "Come on! It's nothing to be afraid of. We can get on it. So you can too!"

How come Asian groups are so not understanding?

Momopi, what would you do in that situation, where Asians are pressuring you to go on roller coasters that you know you are unable to tolerate, and they won't take no for an answer? Then they start to make you feel guilty like you did something wrong cause you didn't go along with the group!

Asians never make sense to me!

How do you deal with that?

They've done that to me at Great America in Santa Clara, CA many times.

[Enishi]

I like rollercoasters myself. Whenever I go on them I like to visualize that I have DBZ/shonen/comic powers and that I'm flying through the air and experiencing all those G forces via my own power.

Last time I went on the 400 ft Dragster ride at Cedar Point the feelings of power and adrenaline I experienced on the way down caused me to break into maniacal laughter. MWAHAHAHAHA!!!! Fortunately the people around me didn't notice due to the wind, rofl.

[Jackal]

I don't get something. Why am I so different from everyone? How do others tolerate some things so easily that I can't at all?

I think it's probably genetic. Do you lack a lot of physical coordination (i.e. are you bad at sports)? I am and I think being less coordinated might be the reason that we fear putting our body in extreme situations: we know we lack a lot of the control necessary to succeed.

Still many people have fears, but they just don't show that they are afraid and push themselves to do things anyway. I once read about a Navy SEAL who said he was afraid every time he jumped out of a plane and I read about another Navy SEAL who always felt nervous while SCUBA diving (and especially while exiting a submarine through the narrow torpedo tube!).

I used to be scared to death of the water, but I got used to it over time and even got SCUBA certified, although I'm still not 100% comfortable in the water. I'm also afraid of heights, but I recently went on some adventure course which had cable bridges between trees, and when I was younger I tried rappelling (which left me petrified!).

So being a cool guy is more about not showing fear and controlling fear than not feeling fear.

[BellaRuth]

I can't stand rollercoasters either, or horror films (especially gore, urgh). I avoid these like the plague. They don't make me feel good in any way and I don't get why people like them.

Nor heights, nor climbing.

I'm sounding a bit pathetic here.

Recently I was trying to cross a canal, there was an area with a tiny plank of wood where I just had to hop on and off to cross it. I put one foot on and felt paralysed. I tried to sum up all my courage to do this stupid little thing (I'm not even scared of water) and I couldn't, I had to get off and go long way round, just from the teeny height involved and the strange situation.

We're just losers perhaps?