Thrilling Speed
Why Do We Feel So Thrilled By Speed?
Ashish
This
fascination with “fast” all began when prehistoric humans invented the wheel.
Even
before that, humans were thrilled by speed, but since there was no external
invention or agency that could make humans “go fast”, all they could
do was marvel at fast-flying birds and animals, or the speed at which they
could throw something through the air.
Furthermore,
running would mean expending a lot of energy, which was much more difficult to
replace back then.
Humans
were not quite as obsessed with speed as we are today, but there was still that
curiosity.
So,
what is it about speed that makes it so compelling and thrilling?
The Obsession with Speed
We live in a time where everything is expected to be
done quickly; we praise the fastest race cars, the fastest airplanes, the
fastest swimmer, fastest sprinter… the list can go on and on.
There
are countless movies, TV shows and advertisements that try to tap
into the human obsession with speed.
If
you observe an advertisement of a new vehicle, you’ll find that every advertisement
contains some mention of the vehicle’s top speed and the amazing power of
the vehicle being promoted.
Why
is this such an important aspect? Shouldn’t safety be the top priority?
Quite
simply, car manufacturers want to market their product to as many people
as possible, and they know that the mere mention of speed fills an individual,
especially men (according to researchers) with a sense of excitement
that almost resembled joy!
A
study in
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, published back in 2009,
looked at the testosterone levels of a group of men who were driving a sports
car and another group of men driving a sedan.
These
two groups were made to drive on two types of streets; streets that were filled
with women and number of deserted streets.
The
results showed that the men driving the sports car had higher levels of
testosterone, but the interesting thing was that the types of street being
drive on, either filled with women or entirely empty, had no effect on the
testosterone levels.
What Happens When You Go Fast?
As you ‘floor’ the pedal, there is a sudden spurt of the
adrenaline hormone in your body, which in turn has many effects: your blood pressure rises instantly, your heart beat races, your body temperature rises,
and you can feel a tingling in your limbs.
These
effects are seen in both males and females, but are decidedly more
pronounced in males. This is why the obsession of speed is commonly associated
with testosterone.
This
is also the reason why men are generally considered to be more reckless behind
the wheel.
Dopamine and Monoamine Oxidase (MAO)
This is another biological factor that determines your
speeding obsession.
MAO
is a regulator in that brain that is associated with a dopamine (a reward
chemical that is strongly related to pleasure-seeking behavior) receptor
called dopamine-4.
Therefore,
if you have low levels of MAO, there is a good chance that you’re the kind of
person who craves thrills and adventures.
Engaging
in these activities on a regular basis can lead to the formation of
habits, which tends to make people risk their (and potentially others’)
lives in order to experience ever-increasing thrills.
A Pinch of Psychology!
Your testosterone isn’t the only factor behind this strange
male-oriented phenomenon.
The
vehicle you are driving becomes an extension of your personality, which is why
men are more likely to purchase sports cars than women, as they are considered
to be a status symbol that traditionally boosts men’s ego and increases
their masculine appearance.
Making
the vehicle under your control go even faster boosts the ego an immense amount,
which can be another habit-forming sensation!
Speed
is certainly not a bad thing, but like anything else, an excess of it can have
some very serious repercussions that you absolutely don’t want to
experience.
Remember,
going fast is fun and exciting, but you are also operating a 2-ton piece of
metal that can do some serious damage to yourself if handled improperly –
not to mention the innocent people all around you!
Check
your speed and stay safe!
RELATED POSTS:
.
CLICK HERE . . .
.
CLICK HERE . . .
.
CLICK HERE . . .
Aganan, Pavia, Iloilo, Philippines
...
CLICK HERE . . . to view company profile . . .
Aganan, Pavia, Iloilo, Philippines
...
CLICK HERE . . . to view company profile . . .
CLICK HERE . . . to view company profile . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment