60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll: Fear
Happy New Year and welcome to the 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll for January 2015. This month's poll takes on fear, a topic that is becoming increasingly controversial as it relates to terrorism. Sony's recent decision to cancel/delay the premiere of the movie "The Interview" has sparked a lively debate around the country about whether we should ever give in to the fear of threatened attacks, especially when they come from nameless and faceless hackers. Fear in humans has helped us to thrive as a species, using the "fight or flight" response which we possess instinctively to help us survive for thousands of years.
Fear can also paralyze us. In his famous Inauguration speech in 1933, FDR famously said, "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.... nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror." He was referring to the economic fear and uncertainty that had gripped the nation. FDR's advice was to "face our fears as our forefathers did, who conquered their perils because they believed and were not afraid." Here's wishing that the New Year brings us freedom from fear and a continuing renewal of hope and optimism. And now the results...
Worst Enemy
Three out of 10 Americans think that anger has caused the most harm in the world, followed by fear 25 percent, envy 21 percent, depression 17 percent, boredom three percent and pity one percent. Ah "what fools these mortals be"... the folly of humans and our emotions are as old as the Bible. Our emotions have caused more harm in the world than can ever be known. They have also caused more good and more love and more kindness. Many people are always aspiring to "the better angels of their nature" and there are many others who are not. That's just the way of the world.
World View
A whopping 82 percent of Americans are not afraid to say that FDR's famous quote constitutes a good way to view the world and only a paltry 14 percent think it is mostly silly nonsense. His words were timely and gave Americans inspirational leadership when they needed it most. He helped to create the Social Security Act of 1935 which has provided much needed help and dignity to countless Americans who had previously feared that they may become destitute in old age.
Anxiety Alert
Thirty-seven percent of Americans are most anxious when they are walking alone at night on a city street. Other activities that cause anxiety include: being stopped for a traffic violation 27 percent, hearing a pilot warn of turbulence 15 percent, having your annual physical nine percent and answering a phone without caller ID six percent. More women (53 percent) fear being alone on a city street at night and more men (34 percent) fear being stopped for a traffic violation. Here's a little advice for the six percent who fear answering a phone without caller ID, don't pick it up.
You're afraid of what?
Nearly half of Americans think clownophobia is the most ridiculous fear. Next in order were fear of commitment 13 percent, dentists 10 percent, needles eight, public speaking eight percent and flying seven percent. Whether they are ridiculous or irrational these fears can be very real to those who experience them. If you have seen the mini-series "It" based on the Stephen King novel, you probably know how creepy killer clowns can be.
Fear Factor
Fifty-seven percent of Americans say they fear the wrath of God the most, followed by their spouse 15 percent, their parents 11 percent and their boss seven percent. No one wants to feel the wrath of their spouse, parents or boss, but America has always been known as a God-fearing nation and this confirms that it still is.
Sleepless Nights
More than three out of four Americans say they are more likely to stay awake thinking about things that are already on their mind as opposed to one in five who say they lie awake thinking about things that are unknown and unexpected.
End of Days
When it comes to which method they most fear might put an end to mankind, 35 percent of Americans chose the nuclear option. Twenty-three percent went viral, 15 percent got a rise out of choosing the Rapture, another 15 percent chose the "Inconvenient Truth" of global warming and eight percent most feared meeting the same fate as the dinosaurs.
Adventure Seekers
Six out of 10 Americans think that people who risk their lives to climb Mount Everest are mostly fearless and 35 percent think they are mostly reckless. Over the years, many people who have attempted the climb have lost their lives. Those who train and prepare well may be called fearless and those who do not may be called reckless.
Feared vs. Loved
Two out of three Americans think that being loved around the world would make the United States more secure and three out of 10 think that being feared would make us more secure. The majority agrees with the Beatles that "all you need is love" and the minority agrees with the famous Italian political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli who said "it is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot have both."
Foreign Powers
The foreign powers that Americans currently fear the most are ISIS 38 percent, China 29 percent, Russia 19 percent and to a much lesser degree Liberia two percent and WikiLeaks two percent. You can watch the CBS Evening News almost any night and see why Americans fear these powers. ISIS kills and terrorizes innocent people. China has a huge population, economic clout and advanced cyber-capabilities. Russia is becoming more isolated and unpredictable on the world stage. More women feared ISIS (47 percent) while more men feared China (37 percent). JFK said, "the cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it." Most Americans support the price we pay to protect our citizens from the dangers posed by foreign powers.
Brave Acts
Nearly three in 10 Americans think that the actions of the passengers on Flight 93 showed the most courage, followed by Harriet Tubman 21 percent, Martin Luther King 16 percent, the signers of the Declaration of Independence 13 percent, JFK 10 percent and Jonas Salk six percent. Those passengers made a courageous decision in the heat of a conflict they knew might mean their deaths but they did it anyway. As an escaped slave, Harriet Tubman risked being recaptured and worse. MLK risked incarceration and as it turned out his eventual death to lead his people in Selma. As Ben Franklin mentioned upon signing the Declaration of Independence, "we must now hang together, or we shall surely hang separately." JFK showed great leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis and Jonas Salk selflessly risked his health to save countless people from the ravages of polio. These episodes are just what JFK was writing about in "Profiles in Courage."
This poll was conducted by telephone from November 5-9, 2014 among 1,018 adults nationwide. Data collection was conducted on behalf of CBS News by SSRS of Media, PA. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3 percentage points. The error for other subgroups may be higher. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Poll.