Attacks of 22 March in Brussels, the heart of the European Union, sent a wave of anxiety through the whole world. This is the epoch we live in — we are interconnected and tragic events that happen in any particular country become a matter of concern for the whole planet.
Brussels Attacks
Politicians immediately took to Twitter to slam attacks and be quoted in the news. It’s scary to think that something may happen to ourselves or our loved ones, and the thought of a potential attack on our home soil is disheartening.
A handful of people managed to scare millions of citizens around the world. Just 30 years ago this wasn’t possible. Now we are interconnected and plugged into the news whether we like it or not.
It seems that every time something like this happens, the world unites even more and recognizes we all in this together.
Thinking about our lives, every day we get out of the house and use some form of transportation to get to school or work. Even though 3200 people die in road crashes daily (1.3 million a year worldwide or 2.2% of all deaths). Additional 20-50 million victims are injured or left invalids every year. But this doesn’t make us terribly fearful.
The point being, we should be more afraid of getting in our cars than of being involved in an attack similar to the one in Brussels. But we are not.
Only in the USA, about 610,000 people die of heart decease (1 in 4 deaths). But this doesn’t make the majority of people think about changing their diet, losing weight, and starting an exercise program. Or maybe they think about it for a second… and immediately forget.
If anything, the effect of realizing we may die one day should make us want to make our lives as bright and happy as possible. Just realize you have the most valuable asset on your hands — time — and how you spend this asset determines what results you have in life.
You are still more likely to die of a heart attack or in a car crash than of a terrorist attack. Besides, men in long-term relationships are happier and healthier, study after study finds.
If your heart is filled with emotions after hearing the recent news, put this energy to good use. Do something to make your life better and brighter.
Terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium, on 22 March 2016 created an echo through the whole world. (Click to enlarge)
Photos: screenshots
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Elena, I love your perspective on this. I have often traveled throughout the world to different locations and people thought I was crazy and they were scared for me. I went mountain climbing in Argentina just after their revolution and people were so worried for me. I had nothing but a good experience. The government there was so concerned about the loss of tourist that they made a concerted effort to take care of them. Everywhere where postings saying “One more dollar…one less tourist” because they were concerned with people price gouging. Also my second time in Russia I traveled… Read more »
I totally agree. Especially it concerns about situation in Ukraine. I’ve been there several times for the past two years and always was told that it’s too dangerous and ukrainian will kill me as far as they understand that i’m russian. But they didn’t. In fact, everybody I met there were impressed by my courtesy and appreciate that no matter what propaganda tells us in our countries I had brains not to follow it.
So yes, obviously just avoid all possible risks don’t travel to Donetsk and Luhansk, and you’ll be fine in Kiev, Odessa and Lviv 🙂
Yulia, I had a similar experience. I went for a visit to Ukraine in May 2014. On this trip, I went to Kiev, Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk. Many of my friends here thought that I was insane for going “because of the war.” Even when I showed them that it is 300 kilometers – 180 miles – between Kharkov and Donetsk, they would not change their minds. And when I was there, several Ukrainians told me that they were surprised that I had actually come – apparently, a number of Americans had canceled visits scheduled months earlier. I agree with you… Read more »
The attacks of all concerned. But in reality, there is little we can change, or somehow influence.
Indeed, when the news constantly talk about such scary things get scared for his life. But this is not the only thing you have to fear, because at any moment can happen with us something that can cause us great harm.
In the USA the power-mad megalomaniacs that run the bloated and sick empire they’ve created since WWII (I call it ancient Rome v.2.0) love for the public to be irrationally fearful of terrorism. Especially the kind that comes from strangely dressed, hairy brown people worshiping a death cult – that freaks white people out, and makes them compliant with anyone they think can protect them, even though the actual risk is microscopic. Terrorism is the boogey man they use to scare the sheep into the pens for another round of shearing and loss of freedoms. Americans have fought to constrain… Read more »
Since this is a marriage site, as distinguished from politics or news, and because the better course here or anywhere is to avoid pointless arguments with the invincibly ignorant, I am not going to give your post the response it deserves. Really, though, read a book or two.
Yes, yes!! I totally agree. Everybody is so scared by these attacks, but it’s easier to die from a car accident for example. Or from smoking or alcoholism. But most people don’t care about their health, why? Also every day I see a lot of women, and even men on the road, who don’t even know the main traffic laws, they can cause a car accident, but who cares?
The world is getting crazy. It is awful and scary. I agree what Jullie has posted- we, ordinary people, can’t influence or change this. We can do something like being more careful, give warnings to people we know or appeal to the government but it’s of no big use or help. How can such things like wars and terrorism take place in the XXI century?
“Man is not just mortal. He is suddenly mortal”, as Bulgakov wrote. It’s just human reality. But it is also sad that people get shocked through the media every day. And on the other hand, they get used to deaths from TVs and Internet. 🙁