I think the problem is the terminology Fear (as you noted) is an adaptive emotion that signals threat, which enables us to take steps to mitigate that threat (fight, flight, prep, etc) Panic implies an uncontrolled reaction that's incapable or ineffective at mitigating threat
Panic is bad if you're in an evolutionarily novel emergency (like losing your mask when scuba-diving 30 meters down) where reason should over-ride instinct. But our ancestors faced infectious diseases for millions of years. Contagion-induced panic might often be adaptive.https://twitter.com/primalpoly/status/1236665501754904576 …
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Yep. 'Panic' is often the post-hoc label slapped onto 'fear' that proved to be a false alarm.
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Was infectious disease really a large problem? I thought that was only after the advent of agriculture.
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Agriculture & urbanization certainly increased contagion risk for humans. But most animals evolved some form of 'behavioral immune system' to avoid infections. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_immune_system …
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Only if it's harnessed by people not panicking though. Adaptive panic doesn't work well on a global scale, because we didn't evolve at a global scale, and we aren't equipped to think in those terms.
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Just because something was adaptive, doesn’t mean it still is. The environment and its pressures have changed.
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I gather you're recommending authorities take action detractors might call "panic". On that I agree. I also agree the public should be cautioned against panic. I doubt our ancestors would have let one person hoard 10X more food than anyone else.
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I am wondering what people are thinking when they say "panic". Seems like there is a sliding scale based on the person.
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I wish I studied under you :/.
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I would say rationalizing global pandemic statistics is an evolutionarily novel activity
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