[ExI] worry

[William Flynn Wallace]

Worry is a form of stress, and as such demands attention from the mind.  It
causes all sorts of evil chemicals to get dumped in the bloodstream, and
can eventually shorten a life.   Many things we worry about are never going
to happen; many things we worry about cannot happen;  worry about things we
have utterly no control over is irrational and can be carried to the point
of paranoia (or schizo-affective disorder), and obsession.

Concern is worry without the stress and emotional reactions.  Concern is
about things we can do something about.  It involves plans to bring about
the elimination of the concerns.  It is totally rational.

Worry about things we can do nothing about among highly intelligent people
concerns me.  It is an irrational thing that causes stress and wastes
people's time.  Playing what-if games, a prominent past-time of worriers,
may be interesting, but again, without some rational concern about the
actuality of the bad things that could occur, it cause needless stress.

If you are concerned rather than worried, then please offer some hard data
about the scenarios you think could occur.  No hard data?  Then it's worry,
not concern.  Don't you have better things to do with those big brains of
yours?

bill w
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