Desensitized

Quake48

United States68 Posts

November 05 2010 05:04 GMT

Today as I was pulling out of the school parking lot, I decided to be a nice guy and let someone pull a U turn. This delay was only 6 seconds at the most and then I make my turn and drive on. At this point the driver I let go infront of me is going the same direction as me and is at the most 3 car lengths in front of me. Seconds later he is T-boned by another student from my school pulling out of the other exit to the parking lot. The speed limit was only 35 and we were well within it's limits but not the less as soon as the cars make contact, the car infront of me gets two tires airborn, and does a full 360 rotation. In the time it took for the crash to occur I slam the breaks pull off towards the median, and pull out my phone to dial emergency services. I did this all without any panic, and in retrospect I am actually a little bothered with the lack of reaction to the crash. I mean I literary did not feel my heart go up 1 beat more than normal, and it dosent really seem normal to me especially considering it could have easily been me.

Luckily the driver infront me ended up with just a sprained wrist and bruised shoulder, and from what i can tell the other driver suffered only some whiplash.

I personally think that playing so many shooters or games with explosions has somewhat desensitized me to dramatic situations, which i suppose might not be a bad thing

Crunchums

United States11144 Posts

November 05 2010 05:13 GMT

You were not impressed by a full 360? You really are desensitized : 3

Artifice

United States523 Posts

November 05 2010 05:13 GMT

It's probably a good thing in most situations. Just don't go around shooting people and blowing shit up.

Saturnize

United States2473 Posts

November 05 2010 05:15 GMT

So how is it a bad thing that you didn't panic?...

Karliath

United States2214 Posts

November 05 2010 05:15 GMT

As long as no one is seriously hurt....that's awesome O_O

Loser777

1931 Posts

November 05 2010 05:17 GMT

With these types of incidents, it doesn't always hit you right away -your initial reaction may not reflect what you feel later on.

intrigue

Washington, D.C9934 Posts

November 05 2010 05:17 GMT

probably allows you to take constructive action sooner. perhaps you immediately realized it wasn't fatal, and so just did the appropriate thing instead of freak out?

Wr3k

Canada2533 Posts

November 05 2010 05:25 GMT

Adrenaline has this effect on lots of people man. I was once in this highway pileup during a snowstorm and I saw a car do a 720 and roll into the ditch in front of me and a semi sliding out of control and I just calmly steered around them as if I was taking a leisurely drive before pulling over. It doesn't really register until after. Just be glad you are one of the people who can stay calm when shit hits the fan. I wouldn't say you are desensitized from video games or anything.

Now if you brutally murdered some innocent people and it had no emotional effect on you then I would start thinking about desensitization.

If you have any friends in the military who have been in firefights they will probably tell you of the same thing. Some people just get super focused and can stay perfectly calm during crazy situations. Being shot at is the scariest thing I can think of, but the human mind and body are adept at survival, so I'm sure there are many people who can be totally calm in those situations (especially when trained for it). Perhaps you just have better survival instincts than the wussies who start screaming and panic as soon as something bad happens

Ancestral

United States3230 Posts

November 05 2010 05:43 GMT

Yeah the idea that this has anything to do with videogames is the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my entire life. In contention is my stupid idea, which is survival instincts are generally pretty good, so you stayed calm knowing you had to react in a certain way (i.e. call 911). If you were being chased by a bear, you would not remain calm.

Different situations.

TimmyMac

Canada499 Posts

November 05 2010 05:45 GMT

#10

Sounds intense.. you never know how you're going to react to stuff like that until it happens to you.

Only time I've ever had to do first aid of any sort - I pulled a heart attack victim out of his boat onto a dock and did 11 minutes of cpr with another guy. Thought he was dead for sure - white as a ghost and no response of any sort - and yet the paramedics got there and he ended up recovering (somewhat). Afterwards we sorta just continued the rest of the day. I still wonder if I should have reacted more or something...

omgCRAZY

Canada551 Posts

November 05 2010 05:54 GMT

#11

When the Zombocalypse happens you will be prepared. That is all that matters.

Grebliv

Iceland800 Posts

November 05 2010 05:56 GMT

#12

saw a similar thing once at an decently busy intersection, actually it was more like a jeep pulling corkscrew rampjump without the hangtime, the car rolled a few times but nobody got hurt apparently. I just think you don't really have much time to react and it isn't exactly like you're in the car to get the ultrascaryadrenaline bits I can imagine one would get, takes time to register really, the only feeling I can imagine/remember* was a bit of that cold chill/sweat stuff you get when something bad happens.

*few years back, hazy I guess.

Impervious

Canada4211 Posts

November 05 2010 05:59 GMT

#13

On November 05 2010 14:45 TimmyMac wrote:
Sounds intense.. you never know how you're going to react to stuff like that until it happens to you.

Only time I've ever had to do first aid of any sort - I pulled a heart attack victim out of his boat onto a dock and did 11 minutes of cpr with another guy. Thought he was dead for sure - white as a ghost and no response of any sort - and yet the paramedics got there and he ended up recovering (somewhat). Afterwards we sorta just continued the rest of the day. I still wonder if I should have reacted more or something...

I've been in similar situations..... Twice they didn't recover (one was a friend of mine, the other was an elderly woman I didn't know). The first one bothered me after, not during..... The second one didn't faze me at all.....

You did what you did. IMO, you are the sum of your experiences (for the good and bad). You wouldn't be the same at this instant if that didn't happen to you, or if you reacted differently. Time to move on.

Coagulation

United States9633 Posts

November 05 2010 06:26 GMT

#14

I dont think this qualifies so much as desensitization. like i could see if the guy got torn in half and projected out his car in a big mess of gib and shit covered your windshield and you calmly hit the wipers I would be more inclined to say your desensitized.

EsX_Raptor

United States2802 Posts

November 05 2010 06:38 GMT

#15

If something can make you cry, anything, then you're not desensitized (onions don't count). Otherwise, you're just a badass.

YoureFired

United States822 Posts

November 05 2010 06:39 GMT

#16

Endorphins, yo. When you see some really seriously bad/stressful things happen, your brain blocks any sort of panic or pain signals so that you can deal with the task at hand. I've been in the same situation as you, for example one of my friends once cut off the tip of his finger at boy scout camp. I remember just thinking "gotta get this thing sterilized," not once "holy fuck he just cut off a piece of his finger." Training (for you, movies lol) does 'desensitize' you but being calm and level-headed is just what you need in a situation like that.

RedTerror

New Zealand742 Posts

November 05 2010 06:56 GMT

#17

The genepool could use more people like you

Risen

United States7927 Posts

November 05 2010 08:04 GMT

#18

Had a similar situation happen to me. Was sitting in the back of my truck as my sister was driving down the highway looking out the left window. I see this guy going crazy fast behind us and lose traction (road wasn't even wet wtf?) as he careens into the median on the left I saw his car swerve back right headed straight for my truck. I calmly unbuckled myself moved over a seat and rebuckled myself as the car slammed into the left flank of my truck.

Whole left side was crunched in and I just started laughing as I called 911 (shock? My sister was bawling her eyes out) Cops came and arrested the dude who had a sawed off shotgun chillin in his lap when the responding officer walked up to him which made my sister scream and I just sat there laughing some more. Scary in hindsight, but at the time all I could think about was how funny it all was (I also felt ninja pro for moving over a seat as the left rear seat had the door halfway in it :O)

ironchef

Canada1350 Posts

November 05 2010 12:07 GMT

#19

I'm not sure what it is, but it sounds like a good thing to me. As long as you werent like getting giddy at the prospect of seeing corpses or something fucked up. I mean, you immediately went to help , that to me is the ultimate way to "care" about the people's safety.

Horrde

Canada302 Posts

November 05 2010 12:37 GMT

#20

YoureFired summed it up quite nicely. A few summers ago I was coming home late from a bar. I was DD and had just dropped everyone off and was returning home. I come to a red light and wait. A police officer was perpendicular to me and was waiting even though he had the green. I thought "okay, whatever, weird..."

Next thing I know he's turning into me to block my car from going forward. Now with our cars immediately facing each other, his door opens and he has his gun drawn and pointing right at me. He started screaming "show me your fucking hands. Don't move." I could feel myself fully alert. He starts walking towards me, and I'm just looking down the barrel of his gun, 2 feet away from me with a smirk. I don't know why, but I rolled my eyes like I was annoyed and slowly got out and said that he's making a mistake. I'm on the ground and in cuffs now and I'm still calm as anything, despite feeling my adrenaline going. It turned out a call had just come in for a stolen vehicle that was the same model as mine and roughly the same colour.

He apologized, got me out of the police cruiser, and uncuffed me. By now, a swarm of 6 cars was around me, since he obviously called for backup. I drove off without succumbing a bead a sweat the entire time. It made me feel baller, but really, it was an absolutely normal reaction imo.

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