Why is being scared so fun? - Margee Kerr

At this very moment, people are lining up somewhere to scare themselves, be it with a thrill-ride or a horror movie. In fact, in October of 2015 alone, about 28 million people visited a haunted house in the US. But you might wonder: What could possibly be fun about being scared? Margee Kerr examines the biology and psychology behind what makes fear so fun.

Lesson by Margee Kerr, animation by Meduzaz animation studio.

[seanmardon]

That dog reminds me of courage the cowardly dog

[TopFurret]

I can't stop staring at their teeth

[jeskvell]

I've noticed that... the feeling of being scared is like the feeling of excitement but with different reasons... 🤔

[Ismavolt]

It's hard to take the rabbits fear of cheetah's seriously when he's wearing cheetah-fur underpants.

[TheTorridestCheese]

I absolutely hate being scared. When I watch a scary movie, I don't get a sense of accomplishment, all I get is lingering anxieties and terrible feelings about watching people being brutally killed on screen. Same goes for my social anxiety. After getting out of a social situation, I don't feel relieved, I actually feel worse for awhile.

[boy]

But if you keep exposing yourself to the same excitement (like riding the same roller coaster over and over again), would you later need an even more scarier ride to get the same high?

[Ravikumar_Sharma]

Did courage the cowardly dog show come to your mind as well

[animedndfangirl]

I actually do go from screaming to laughing when riding a rollercoaster. I enjoy the thrill. To me, it's fun. I enjoyed this video.

[QuaziIrtiza]

The animation reminded me of Courage the cowardly dog. XD

[belgiffle]

0:33 THIS, THIS DAMNED SOUND MAKE ME FRIGHTENED I HONESTLY THOUGHT *A BUG CRAWLED IN MY EAR*

[videogyar]

Did anyone else has a phase during teenager years when you just constantly watched horror movies?

[paingoret]

I've always been an adrenaline junkie and grew up loving horror and scary things from a very young age. Good destressers.
I went to school for zoo tech and remember learning how humans today and pets tend to have long term stress because we don't have those quick flight vs fight moments in life (running from things trying to kill us, etc) that give quick stress but instant relief after survival so we carry stress (I'm probably not wording this right but I'm sure someone on here can understand what I'm saying and reword it better)

[LoveTheBeauty]

This reminds me of Happy Tree Friends... Whyyyy

[sivanneu]

and here i thought i was insane for laughing like a lunatic when im on a roler-coaster
thx, ted-ed

[bridgidigital]

It's a response to "controlled chaos" more than a response to fear, I think, that makes simulated danger so appealing. It's a way of tricking our bodies into anticipating something harmful or scary while accompanied by the brain's acknowledgement of a scripted, simulated scenario designed to result in a positive, enjoyable experience. I think it's why hearing stories about amusement park accidents are so terrifying to me...can you imagine the contrast between safety of a controlled situation to a rollercoaster derailing... I bet it really messes with the anticipation & expectation parts of the brain to experience that sudden shift in results. 🎢🎡🎭🚂

[chicobicalho]

This is my favourite channel on YouTube by a broad margin. What you guys get that most people don't, is posting concise pieces filled with interesting information. Thank you so much!

[sabaca]

Reaction when I saw the title: But being scared isn't fun. That's why I don't get why people like horror games and movies. But now I will learn why.

[iamvihaansharma]

"Somewhere right now, "
RIP Lockdown XD


Great work Ted-Ed :) Learned a lot as always

[FluffyKittenofMordor]

Yo the animation is bonkers! One of the best I've ever seen!

[Niker]

The animation is good but I dislike the fact that many scenes were repeated 4-5 times.