I have to admit that a little while back, upon arriving home from a long trip, I was so anxious to get off the plane that I found myself standing up getting my bags almost the second my plane landed. In the back of my mind I knew this was an exercise in futility, but for some reason I still felt compelled to do it. But why, exactly, are some of us so determined to get off airplanes so quickly, knowing very well that the door is locked and there’s nothing we can do about it? Mark Banschick, M.D., recently compiled a list of the top 6 reasons why people do this. This is one of my faves: “#7) EXISTENTIAL ANXIETY: Most people do not have a formal flying phobia, but may still have anxiety related to control. It would not surprise me if many people, after flying 35,000 feet above the ground in the hands of another human being, feel an urgency to take control again. People get up because they unconsciously want their lives back.” You can read Banschick’s full list by visiting PsychologyToday.com. (Photo courtesy of Joshua Sankey).
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