--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In survey after survey, people report…" description: "\"In survey after survey, people report that the greatest dangers they face are, in this order: terrorist attack, plane crashes and nuclear accidents. Th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/will-self-2296_accidents_in-survey-after-survey-people-report-tha_1802072.png" --- # In survey after survey, people report that the greatest… ![“In survey after survey, people report that the greatest dangers they face are, in this order: terrorist attack, plane crashes and nuclear accidents. This despite the fact that these three combined have killed fewer people in the past half-century than car accidents do in any given year.” quote by Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/will-self-2296_accidents_in-survey-after-survey-people-report-tha_1802072.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/will-self-2296_accidents_in-survey-after-survey-people-report-tha_1802072.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/will-self-2296_accidents_in-survey-after-survey-people-report-tha_1802072.png) > “In survey after survey, people report that the greatest dangers they face are, in this order: terrorist attack, plane crashes and nuclear accidents. This despite the fact that these three combined have killed fewer people in the past half-century than car accidents do in any given year.” [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People overestimate rare catastrophes and underestimate common risks, skewing perception of danger. **In simple terms:** Rare events feel scarier than common ones. Key Takeaway Recognize and prioritize everyday safety. Themes risk perception media influence statistics Mood anxious reflective Type analytical informative When to use this quote - driving - public policy - insurance - personal safety Key Concepts cognitive bias availability heuristic Questions to Reflect On - How can we better align fear with actual risk? - What role does media play in shaping danger perception? A Different Perspective Rare events dominate headlines, but data shows everyday risks are higher. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Dangers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangers/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Nuclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People from the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-from-the-past/) [Plane crashes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plane-crashes/) [Planes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planes/) ## Related quotes > [I do not use airplanes. They strike me as unsporting. You can have an automobile accident-and survive. 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Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) ## More by Will Self > [As for critical writing about modernism, its moments of lucidity are but fulgurations illuminating the dark and incomprehensible landscape of its subject's unabashed difficulty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/as-for-critical-writing-about-modernism-its-moments-of-lucidity-are/) [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) > [“As my voice died away I became conscious of the voice of another woman two tables away. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/i-made-out-with-a-homeless-guy-by-accident-i-had-no-idea-he-was/) [Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/) > [Naturally I feel no shame in writing these things because of the time which separates the moment when they are written--when only I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-ernaux/naturally-i-feel-no-shame-in-writing-these-things-because-of-the-time/) [Annie Ernaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-ernaux/) > [In a city where you walk around, it's impossible to plan your day and your life as accidents will happen, you'll overhear things, bump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schwartzman/in-a-city-where-you-walk-around-it-s-impossible-to-plan-your-day-and/) [Jason Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schwartzman/) > [I don't think it's by accident that I was first attracted to translating two French women poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/i-don-t-think-it-s-by-accident-that-i-was-first-attracted-to/) [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) > [Despite my mentors advice that I would never go to heaven fishing with a weighted nymph and a float, I took it up. 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