26 Oct 2012
Close calls and near misses are common terms for bad things that almost - but didn’t - happen.
What I find interesting is that sometimes they make us feel strong, alive and invulnerable. Sometimes they make us painfully aware of our mortality and our helplessness in the face of Fate. In the first instance, they may encourage risk taking. In the latter, they make us fearful and inhibit our willingness to take chances.
What I find puzzling is that the same incident can evoke different responses in different individuals, or even in the same individual in different settings.
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