If you don't think about it, you won't be afraid. A psychologist wanted to understand the influence of people's state of mind on behavior, so he decided to conduct an ingenious experiment. First, he led 10 people through a dark house. Under his guidance, all 10 people passed through the house safely. Then, the psychologist gently turned on a light in the room. In the dim light, these people saw what was in the room. They all broke out in a cold sweat because there was a large pool of water in the room with a dozen large crocodiles. There was a narrow wooden bridge over the pool, and it was surprising that these people had just walked over it!At this point, the psychologist asks, "Now, who among you would want to walk through this house again?"There was silence, and after a long while, three bold men stood up. One of them walked cautiously, much slower than the first;The other trembled on the small wooden bridge, and when he was halfway there, he actually lay on the small bridge and climbed over;The third one had just taken a few steps before he suddenly lay down, and he no longer dared to move half a step forward. There were ten lights in the house, and the psychologist turned on the remaining nine. Suddenly, the room was as bright as day. At this time, people saw a safety net installed under the small wooden bridge, but because the color of the net cable was extremely light, they did not notice it just now. "Now, who wants to cross this little wooden bridge?The psychologist asked. This time, five people quickly stepped forward. "Why don't you?The psychologist asked the remaining two. "Is this safety net strong?The two men asked in unison.
Interpretation: When people don't understand the situation, they don't know what fear is. However, if you know that you are in a dangerous environment, the "single-plank bridge" that is not an obstacle is enough to deter most people. Even if people are told that safety nets do exist, there are still a few people who are reluctant to take the risk lightly. If you don't think about it, you won't feel in danger. Danger and feeling often come with it.
In this experiment, we can see how people react in the face of fear and danger. The results of the experiment show that people's thinking and knowledge have an important impact on their behavior.
First, when people walk through the house in the dark, they don't know that there are crocodiles in the room and they don't realize that there is a safety net under the small wooden bridge. Because they did not understand the dangers of the environment, they did not get scared and successfully passed the house.
However, when psychologists turn on the lights and tell people what's going on in the room, people's mental state changes dramatically. They saw crocodiles and the safety net under the small wooden bridge, which made the "single-plank bridge", which was not an obstacle in the first place, suddenly terrifying. This change in perception has led to fear.
This experiment raises a number of philosophical questions. First, it involves thinking about the role of knowledge and cognition. Through the disclosure of information in the experiment, people's knowledge changes, which directly affects their behavior. This reflects how people's understanding and perception of their environment constructs their perception and response to things.
Secondly, this experiment also involves human attitudes towards risk and uncertainty. Even if people are told that there is a safety net under the small wooden bridge, there are still a few people who are reluctant to take the risk. This suggests that people have different psychological tendencies when faced with danger, with some people being more willing to take risks and others being more cautious. This has given rise to ethical and philosophical views on human behavior and decision-making.
Finally, the experiment also reminds us to think about the relationship between fear and psychological feelings. The people in the experiment did not feel fear without recognizing the danger. This enlightens us to recognize that fear is caused by our thoughts and perceptions, not by the environment itself. Therefore, we can alleviate fear and anxiety by controlling our thinking and cognition.
Taken together, this experiment stimulates us to think about the relationship between knowledge and cognition, risk attitudes and fears and psychological feelings. It reveals the complexity of the human psyche in the face of fear and danger, and reminds us how to control our thinking and perception in order to cope with challenges and difficulties.