when we are afraid

a few weeks ago, i was in columbus OH. near columbus, in Dayton, is the Museum of the United States Air Force. I did not know this, but was glad to find it out, as i had 2 kids to entertain for the day and this sort of thing is something they would enjoy. the museum is comprised of 3 massive hangars that contain military aircraft from 1918 to the present. a lot of scary material was on display, neutron and atom bombs, ballistic missles, and every type of fighter jet, bomber and combat craft created by the military powers of the world. the technology and the ingenuity and the overall design excellence was impressive, but as we continued to make our way through the hundreds of aircraft on display, one thought dominated me.

this is what happens when we are afraid. the motivational power of fear created some of the most advanced design and technology ever conceived. this is how humans work though. we don't bring our own bag to the grocery store because we are hopeful of getting a 5 cent credit, but i'm sure we'd bring them if we were afraid of getting charged 20 cents per bag. these theories about the power of fear are nothing new in psychological circles, but being in the presence of those planes, i felt their force. ok. good.