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Amanda Ripley

Amanda Ripley Quotes

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“By sort of combining the research of a lot of smart people, I came up with an equation for dread [dread=uncontrollability+unfamiliarity+imaginability+suffering+scale of destruction+unfairness]. The dread equation is a simplification, but it's a way to explain why we fear something so much when it is so unlikely. Part of it is the lack of control. That's why we're more scared of plane crashes than car crashes even though we know rationally which is more dangerous.”

PeopleKnowsWaySufferingDangerousCarSmartResearchDestructionScaredScalesPlanesDreadCrashEquationsUnlikelySmart PeopleCombiningSimplificationUnfairnessCar CrashPlane CrashesLack Of Control
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“Well, there isn't any one profile of a survivor, but there are profiles. Depending on the disaster you have certain advantages and disadvantages just based on who you are. Women are more likely to survive hurricanes. In hurricanes the deaths come from floods and people driving through high water. That's much more likely to be a man who dies that way.”

PeopleMenWayWellsCertainDiesWaterAdvantageWho You AreDrivingDisasterSurvivorFloodBe A ManHurricanesDisadvantagesProfileAdvantages And Disadvantages
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“You could reduce people's fears if you gave them some useful information before things went wrong. It's really important to create a sense of confidence in the public in their own abilities before a disaster because they're the only ones who are going to be there. No one's going to help you for at least 24 to 72 hours. So it would be good to know more about it.”

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“The one thread that was most surprising and most consistent was the lack of fear that people felt at the worst moment. They felt a lot of fear in early stages, when they're just realizing what's happening. But then things really seemed to be at their peak of terror, the fear went away. You can imagine why that's useful. At that moment your brain needs to focus all its attention on surviving, so people will feel a sense of calm as their brain tries to sort out a plan.”

PeopleNeedsFeelsTryingMomentsFeltRealizingAttentionBrainFocusImaginePlansWorstStageHappeningsCalmTerrorConsistentThat MomentSurprisingThreadSurvivingWorst Moments
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“People help way more than we expect, way more than makes sense. But when you talk to people called heroes, they often say they did it for themselves. In one case, a hero said that the cost of not doing it is so great, the sense of shame, when he knew that he was strong enough, that the fear of not doing anything was more frightening than the fear of dying.”

PeopleWaySaidEnoughHelpingStrongCasesDyingHeroCostShameMake SenseFrighteningStrong EnoughFear Of Dying
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“Resilience is a precious skill. People who have it tend to also have three underlying advantages: a believe that they can influence life events; a tendency to find meaningful purpose in life’s turmoil; and a conviction that they can learn from both positive and negative experiences.”

PeopleBelievePurposeThreeInfluenceEventsSkillsAdvantageNegativeConvictionResilienceMeaningfulTendenciesPurpose Of LifeFind MeTurmoilNegative Experiences
Author:Amanda Ripley
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