At one point in my life, I, like many Americans, believed there was danger everywhere. Kidnapping, murder, and death were all around us. We had to remain vigilant. The stress this caused was necessary in order to remain safe. Fearing strangers, not letting your kids out of your sight, and generally distrusting peoples’ motives —all reasonable responses to legitimate fears.
Then I read sociologist Barry Glassner’s book, Culture of Fear.
Despite its title, this book has been one of the most calming influences on my life. Though I first read it almost 15 years ago, its influence hasn’t diminished. It’s actually increased, because I’ve gotten better at seeing the world the way Glassner does. And I’m much happier as a result.
Glassner’s insight was that the things Americans report being most of afraid of—crime, kidnapping, airplane crashes—are statistically unlikely to happen. In other words, Americans have a lot of unnecessary fear, and his book explores why.
His conclusion is something that now feels like an obvious truth: the feeling of danger many of us live with is not a natural response to a dangerous world. It comes from seeing near-constant media coverage of horrific but isolated events. He uses data to show that by focusing on the larger picture — that is, reality — we actually live in an incredibly safe time.
This was true in 2000, when the book came out, and it’s true now. Crime rates continue to fall. Our children are actually incredibly safe (being a parent, learning this was an immense relief). There’s even evidence that the entire world is getting safer. You’d never believe these statements from looking at the headlines, but that’s exactly Glassner’s point — constant attention to the news actually warps your sense of reality. Reading Culture of Fear taught me to filter out the relentless negativity of the news and look for the bigger patterns of what’s really going on.
I think of Barry Glassner as the Godfather of The Hero Series.
Thank you, Barry Glassner, for writing Culture of Fear and showing me that I don’t have to live with so much fear. Thank you for teaching me how to fend off media crisis alerts and keep things in perspective. And thank you, most of all, for inspiring us all to focus on the good.
Contributed by Michael Arthur Skrzypek
[Series note: This is a big turning point for the Hero Series. All of the posts to this point have been from me. I’m thrilled to bring on a new perspective. I’m looking forward to getting more. — MA]