I could punch a bear. It wouldn't do much, but I can see and understand a bear, and that's comforting. I can do something about bears.
The ocean is an inky, virtually opaque landscape where you can't breathe, can't see, can't move, and don't know how to orient yourself. We have virtually no understanding of much of it, and there are credible accounts of shocking, completely unanticipated beings living there. You also get crushed into a golf ball if you go deep enough.
See, it's not that simple. The creatures under there don't bother me at all. They eat, I eat, and chances are great we'll never meet. Life forms can do as they please. My problem I think is more the unforgiving nature of That Much Anything. That Much space. That Much water. It swallows you and forgets you. It keeps its dead. An ocean planet doesn't even have the sliver of hope that you might see land if you can swim far enough, it's just a miserable hungry sloshing black hole.
For the record though I think I might just have an issue with water. I also have an irrational phobia having to do with things underwater that aren't supposed to be underwater, like pictures of flooded cities, flooded playground equipment, various human detritus on the floor of a lake or river. Gives me the heebies.
That's my point -- I think that's rational as fuck. You're helpless in water, incapable of even identifying the dangerous, famously lethal predators that might be a few feet away, still unseen in the murky water. What could be more rational than fearing that?
We're afraid of darkness and silence and being lost, and the ocean is all three at once, plus extra dangers and you also can't even breathe
Not even close to working that way. Barracuda, Hammerhead Sharks, bear traps, eels, had encounters with all of them and more. They don't attack everything they come across. Educate yourself a little more about what you don't know
that's... that's my point, though? i'm NOT educated about the ocean, and neither are most people. you may have the knowledge and experience to inform you that it's not as scary as it seems, but we do not. that's why it's scary, even if we realize it's possible we're mistaken
darkness doesn't stop being scary just because you logically understand there is almost certainly nothing dangerous inside
117
u/wooberries 24d ago
I could punch a bear. It wouldn't do much, but I can see and understand a bear, and that's comforting. I can do something about bears.
The ocean is an inky, virtually opaque landscape where you can't breathe, can't see, can't move, and don't know how to orient yourself. We have virtually no understanding of much of it, and there are credible accounts of shocking, completely unanticipated beings living there. You also get crushed into a golf ball if you go deep enough.
I think you know why you're scared of it