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Is a fear of air travel — that precludes ever flying — rational?
according to my rav fear of flying is a lack of emuna
For many people it’s natural. There are plenty of people on medication for having acrophobia.
well, actually, i never even went on an airplane before, so i don’t even know what it’s like!
the only fear that is rational is the fear of dill pickles.
Yes, there are some risks associated with flying. Try to aviod unnecessary risks.
No, it’s not rational, but that doesn’t make it less real.
2scents – ok. i’ll try to avoid going on any plane that might have a malfunction or might have a terrorist on board. that should be easy enough. thanks for the advice. 😉
if real people have this fear then its a real fear. you cannot fight with peoples fears.
definitely rational. soliek, while i hear what your rav is saying, Hashem is the One Who made us who we are, and part of who we are is any fear we might have. our job is to work on it. If Hashem would not have wanted us to have any fears, He would not have given us the feeling of fear. correct me if i’m wrong, but it makes sense to me.
Fear is not rational. A decision based on the facts, might be. But that was probably your question.
Gefen, I will explain what I meant to say.
If one has to fly, go ahead and do it. In fact I was speeding today 80 MPH on a 50 MPH zone. I was in a rush and took the necessary risk.
However if one has no need to take the risk, avoid it.
2scents – that’s an accident waiting to happen. i’m glad you’re alive and able to tell us the story. i mean, please tell me you’re joking.
Sam2; The fear of flying is aviophobia, not acrophobia, which is the fear of heights.
Brain chemicals, genetics and traumatic experiences also appear to influence the development of phobias.
Don’t know if your being sarcastic or not. However I drive within the speed limits. Only that at times my schedule is tight and I need to fly on the highway.
And yes, I am a saftey jerk!
Chanie: True, but I feel like acrophobia is more common and that almost all acrophobics would fear flying as well.
Brain chemicals, genetics and traumatic experiences also appear to influence the development of phobias.”
i tend to agree with my rav…i mean after all he is my rav, but i think he has a point. i mean if you truly believed that it was out of your hands and in hashems…then why fear it? thats more than rationale of like “oh youre more likely to be hit by lightning while simultaneously being mauled by a woolly mammoth at the la brea tar pits holding a winning lottery ticket” because that leaves it open for discussion.
Soliek: If you truly believe it’s all in Hashem’s hands then maybe it’s a lack of Bitachon to look before crossing the street? You can’t have Eminah while at the same time not fearing potential dangers. That’s not what Emunah means.
soliek; Having a phobia does not mean a person is lacking in Emunah and Bitachon. I can bring you case histories of current and previous Gedolim who suffer(ed) from phobias, while being on the highest madreiga of Emunah and Bitachon. I am not going to mention his name, but one of the greatest Gedolim of the previous generation suffered from Ailurophobia, the fear of cats. I can name you a list of Gedolim and Poskim who are of the opinion that your Rov is dead wrong. Let him speak with any frum psychologist or psychiatrist.
according to my rav fear of flying is a lack of emuna
Your rav is highly ignorant, and has no business being a rav. As chanieT rightly said, phobias are an emotional disorder. Lack of emuna is irrelevant to it.
Actually, Rav Ahron Kotler Zt”l was extremely terrified of flying. Though he flew often, he would usually absorb himself in his learning from begining to end.
On one occasion he was telling over a shiur to another talmid chochom on the flight. After about 2 hours after take-off, when he finished discussing the shiur, he chanced a look out the window. Not realizing that they had taken off, he shrieked out an “OY!” and quickly opened a sefer.
I think we all agree that he did not have an emunah issue.
Perhaps the afformentioned Rav was refering to a logical fear of the dangers of flying as opposed to the more illogical phobias.
Popa, I don’t know how you can write like that on a rav. You may disagree, however to call a Rav ignorant is pure ignorance!
That’s besides the fact that you have never spoken with that rav regarding this issue, he might know what you, and despite all that still say what he said!
We do not choose our phoboas, they are given to us.
or we develop phobias, nature vs. nurture, or a combination
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