One of the keys to a happy life has got to be avoiding anxiety whenever possible. In the most general sense, anxiety (in any of its multitudinous forms) is the driving force behind biotic behavior, as organisms of all shapes & sizes attempt, to whatever extent they are capable, to escape the physiological stress that anxiety inevitably brings.
As is so often the case, humans would seem to be supremely equipped to manage this fundamental tribulation by virtue of our wildly flexible adaptive capabilities. We have an ability to predict, perceive, permutate, and even parabolize our current anxiety levels, the stressors behind them, and the potential for anxiety that almost any conceivable system may produce.
In reality, however, our stupendously intricate neurophysiological system may feed- and loop-back upon itself where anxiety-accomodation is concerned, and the specifics of our congnitive/emotional/physical response to anxious circumstances is far too complicated and convoluted for an attempt at settling upon a net effect to be included in this space (many apologies for that, Constant Reader — perhaps some other time)……..
But, I think a generalization can be made along the avenue of addressing the types of situations that will produce the greatest amount of anxiety to a biological organism. (Or-perhaps-not-so)Especially for humans, being placed into an unfamiliar setting, or a situation in which one’s individual strengths are rendered ineffective, is a surefire way to raise the tension level of one’s psyche. It’s often referred to as being “out of your element.”
Well, while I freely admit that some folks are born with much more advanced innate aquatic skills than myself, I would still have to believe that, aside from freefalling through the air, being immersed in the deep blue sea has to be as far “out” of a human’s element as one is ever likely to find oneself. We are terrestrial creatures, and (Elaine Morgan notwithstanding) our physiology is not adapted to efficient, economical operation in an aquatic setting. The body parts that serve us so well on land become clumsy appendages, if not outright detriments, once in the water.
What I mean to be getting at is that, in the deep water, even the best swimmers among us are still operating at a mere fraction of our terrestrial capacity for maintaining control of our own immediate destiny and well-being. Even with all our abilities to make accomodations for our physical shortcomings, to predict possible problems and address them ahead of time, anxiety for a self-aware being like a human springs from that element of one’s surroundings that are beyond our control. In the ocean (not on a craft of any kind but actually in the water), this comprises approximately 99.99995% of the situation.
Yeah, so what’s my point? Well, my point is, I suppose, that being in deep natural waters is nerve-wracking, not the least because of stories like this, from Sydney, Australia. Sure, the guy was able to survive (as most folks do) the ordeal with only mangled appendages, but, short of staying the hell out of the water, how could he have avoided the danger? That’s what anxiety is for!!!
I hope Mr. Cull never visits Florida, for various reasons — but the top item on this list also tops mine.
I admire and fully respect sharks of all 350+ species, and wish them absolutely no harm…..and there’s nothing that I could say, or do, should I enter into their “element” and present an enticing curiousity. Now, if they should enter my element, my anxiety levels will decline quite a bit.
Or, maybe not. See how complicated it becomes?
