Quote Originally Posted by Burney View Post
It really, really isn't, you know? Because it's not about fear of death, it's about fear of actually flying. It's an irrational fear based on one's position and environment that provokes a physical reaction. This is why no amount of telling someone how safe flying is makes any difference. They know all that stuff, but are still suffering. It's no different to fear of heights in that regard. The person with a fear of heights is not sh*tting themselves because they think they'll die, they're shītting themselves because their brain is sending panic signals throughout their body due to their location and they can't control it.

This is what people who don't suffer these afflictions simply don't get. They seem to think that people develop these fears through some logical sequence of decisions and that, by deconstructing that logic, they can be 'cured'. It doesn't work like that.

You aren't not scared of flying because you have rationalised the situation, balanced all probabilities and come to a rational conclusion. You're not scared of flying simply because you're not scared of flying and it has never occurred to you that you should be. You're just lucky enough not to be wired up that way. It's the same thing for those of us who are scared - it's just how we are.
Elegantly put and cogently argued, as ever. I remain unconvinced because I find fear of flying offensive. There, I've said it.