Richter, what is it with people and The Dark?

[Freeky]

Why is it that people just automatically assume as soon as the sun goes down, no not even that late, when the sky starts turning orange, why do people go on and on about how dangerous things CAN be, how people CAN do this, do that, but only at night? Only when it gets Dark? Why do they not think that horrible things can happen to them in the daytime? Seriously.

I had a run-in with such a person today. She went on and on and on and on until I wanted to shake her about how you "have to be careful, mindful, aware," etc. Now, I understand the value of wariness. And I certainly wouldn't go door to door after dark. But why, when I tried to explain how I felt on the subject of Safety At Dusk (I'm not afraid), she just told me I was being resistant and insinuated that I was just being contrary to be contrary?

I mean, couldn't it be possible that just outside her perfect little bubble, between the hours of 4 and 6 in the evening, she could get snatched into some pervert's (not the good kind like the tapeworm fetishists or branding freaks, but the serious sex offender types) house? Isn't it in fact probable that if no one is around but you and some dude (or chick for that matter), if he was going to do it in The Dark, wouldn't he do it during the day too?

Wouldn't he?

I have a hypothesis, and I wonder if there's any merit to it. There are many kinds of people (obviously), but regarding nighttime and The Dark, there are two types; those who fear it, because they were told it's dark and scary and always always dangerous, and the people who know there are hazards more apparent there, but know that it's a wonderful place/time, too.

Am I just Not Getting It? Am I retarded or something? Or is there something wrong with everyone else? I wish I knew. Do you?

[Remington]

I think it goes deeper than that, Freeky. Darkness and silence represent the unknown, sure, but it is also the best possible atmosphere for deep introspection. That, I think, is what really scares those people. In the dark, there's no-one to talk to. No one else to focus on and think about, only yourself. In the dark, all there is is you. In the dark, you can't see out. You can only see in.

And it's what those people see in themselves, Freeky, their flaws, shortcomings, and failures. Those are the things that make people fear the dark.

[Richter]

Remember what Lovecraft said, Freeky?  The oldest emotion is fear, the strongest fear is the unknown.  The dark is the ORIGINAL unknown.  There was good reason for a while too.  The dark was where thigns fed on dank molds and carrion, where the venemous repitels and isnects hid.  Night was when our monkey eyes got useless (No one has seen dark until they've seen a moonless night high in the mountains, half a state from any city.), and the game was in favor of the serious predators. 

We've tried to cure this.  We pushed the dark away with fire and electricity, burning tallow and halogen.  We filled the nights with light, and built places to make ourselves safe.  Idiot proof any process, Murphy will oblige you with a better idiot.  Some people got more scared, some saw them getting scared, and took advantage, becoming predators themselves.  So they stayed scared.  Scard of the unknown, scared of the great tyrannical "What MAY be.".  They hold this figure like a god and will preach it's gospel to anyone they think will listen. 

Do they have anything to be scared of in the dark?  Sure do, they smell like food.  Weak, nervous, and ready to panic and bolt.

Do you or I, Freeky?  Likely not.  Most days we're the scary things in the dark. 

[P3nT4gR4m]

Remember what Lovecraft said, Freeky?  The oldest emotion is fear, the strongest fear is the unknown.  The dark is the ORIGINAL unknown.  There was good reason for a while too.  The dark was where thigns fed on dank molds and carrion, where the venemous repitels and isnects hid.  Night was when our monkey eyes got useless (No one has seen dark until they've seen a moonless night high in the mountains, half a state from any city.), and the game was in favor of the serious predators. 

We've tried to cure this.  We pushed the dark away with fire and electricity, burning tallow and halogen.  We filled the nights with light, and built places to make ourselves safe.  Idiot proof any process, Murphy will oblige you with a better idiot.  Some people got more scared, some saw them getting scared, and took advantage, becoming predators themselves.  So they stayed scared.  Scard of the unknown, scared of the great tyrannical "What MAY be.".  They hold this figure like a god and will preach it's gospel to anyone they think will listen. 

Do they have anything to be scared of in the dark?  Sure do, they smell like food.  Weak, nervous, and ready to panic and bolt.

Do you or I, Freeky?  Likely not.  Most days we're the scary things in the dark. 

Yoinked!

[Cainad (dec.)]

'People fear darkness because it is ignorance made visible. People love ignorance, often they treasure it more than anything, but they hate being forced to see it.'
-misquoted from some book I read

[Freeky]

I think it goes deeper than that, Freeky. Darkness and silence represent the unknown, sure, but it is also the best possible atmosphere for deep introspection. That, I think, is what really scares those people. In the dark, there's no-one to talk to. No one else to focus on and think about, only yourself. In the dark, all there is is you. In the dark, you can't see out. You can only see in.

And it's what those people see in themselves, Freeky, their flaws, shortcomings, and failures. Those are the things that make people fear the dark.

I guess that's another reason I have a hard time understanding the problem, Remmy. I enjoy moments of solitude (I get them so rarely). I revel in introspection. To work out some major kinks, patch up some holes in the infrastructure, this is a necessary step in making a better breed of human.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

People fear darkness because we're visually-oriented diurnal creatures, and our eyes aren't designed for seeing well in low light, making us vulnerable to accidents and easy prey for nocturnal predators.

We're afraid of the dark, and particularly of being alone in the dark, because of what kind of animal we are.

[Freeky]

Remember what Lovecraft said, Freeky?  The oldest emotion is fear, the strongest fear is the unknown.  The dark is the ORIGINAL unknown.  There was good reason for a while too.  The dark was where thigns fed on dank molds and carrion, where the venemous repitels and isnects hid.  Night was when our monkey eyes got useless (No one has seen dark until they've seen a moonless night high in the mountains, half a state from any city.), and the game was in favor of the serious predators. 

We've tried to cure this.  We pushed the dark away with fire and electricity, burning tallow and halogen.  We filled the nights with light, and built places to make ourselves safe.  Idiot proof any process, Murphy will oblige you with a better idiot.  Some people got more scared, some saw them getting scared, and took advantage, becoming predators themselves.  So they stayed scared.  Scard of the unknown, scared of the great tyrannical "What MAY be.".  They hold this figure like a god and will preach it's gospel to anyone they think will listen. 

Do they have anything to be scared of in the dark?  Sure do, they smell like food.  Weak, nervous, and ready to panic and bolt.

Do you or I, Freeky?  Likely not.  Most days we're the scary things in the dark. 

It's interesting when you put it that way. I certainly don't consider myself prey, at least not most days, but I'm no predator either. But these people I am (unwillingly) surrounded by, they're someone else's fun time through and through. And it urks me, because I want to say to them "You're being silly! Stop acting afraid, and there will be fewer reasons to be afraid!" But I'm pretty sure I'll just get funny looks and glares and "talked to" by my boss.

So now the question becomes how do you keep your mouth shut around these people? It's so hard to do.

[Richter]

A VERY intersting and direct fellow I know once broke down everything he meets into 4 categories: Food, Things to run from, Things to mate with, and Rocks.

Being a predator, or a Thing to run from, is not always necessary all the time.  It's tiring.  Being a Rock (of vairious motion, sitting still is not always wise) is much easier.  Yes, a Rock may be tasty, but is it worth the effort to chew on?  You have to be prety desperate to take the chance to find out.

Things that act like Food tend to get treated like Food.  Kind of odd that things behave that way (not really)

So far as how to supress the urge to enlightne the masses, I have no perfect answer.  Sometimes the spirit takes me, or something royally pisses me off, and I just have to pitch a sermon.  (  CAN I GET A WITLESS?  )  Other times, it can be started with good intentions, but jsut won't end well.  Don't know about you, but I refuse to accept responsibiltiy for some of these fuckers.

[Remington]

I think it goes deeper than that, Freeky. Darkness and silence represent the unknown, sure, but it is also the best possible atmosphere for deep introspection. That, I think, is what really scares those people. In the dark, there's no-one to talk to. No one else to focus on and think about, only yourself. In the dark, all there is is you. In the dark, you can't see out. You can only see in.

And it's what those people see in themselves, Freeky, their flaws, shortcomings, and failures. Those are the things that make people fear the dark.

I guess that's another reason I have a hard time understanding the problem, Remmy. I enjoy moments of solitude (I get them so rarely). I revel in introspection. To work out some major kinks, patch up some holes in the infrastructure, this is a necessary step in making a better breed of human.

Few people are legitimately interested in becoming a better monkey. It's much easier to absorb yourself in others, and define yourself by the latest trends or celebrity gossip.