“Deadly Mind Traps”
In the essay “Deadly Mind Traps” by Jeff Wise, the author gives real life examples of how our brains are hardwired or sometimes on autopilot, and make decisions based on what we humans think is logical. Sometimes these logical reactions, such as instinctively trying to save or rescue another human being from danger, or trying to grab a falling object, can work to our advantage. But in scenarios that are life threatening, we tend to get nervous. We start to feel added pressure and our ability to make sound decisions can disappear very quickly.
One example the author gives is the doomed situation a farmer found himself in, and how his coworker instinctively tried to help him, and found himself in the same fatal situation. When his mother and sister saw the danger these two men were in, they tried to rescue them and found the same fate. This is a prime example of what the author calls the “Domino Effect.” This effect is a result of our innately need to help others in moments of danger or distress. “A teen jumps from a dangerous waterfall and disappears; his buddies follow, one after the other, until they all drown” (Wise, 410). This example from the author
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He thought that extending the safety parameter time limit just a little bit more was ok and ultimately found himself stuck in a deadly storm. This is a perfect example of what the author calls the “Redline Effect.” “Any time we plan a mission that requires us to set a safety parameter, there’s a risk that in the heat of the moment we’ll be tempted to overstep it” (Wise, 414). All these fatalities could have possibly been avoided by what the author calls “Avoiding the trap”. Simply taking one step back and giving ourselves a moment to critically analyze the situation and weigh the consequences that our actions can have in a given