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My thought process

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Sounds like you simply have general anxiety disorder, which really isn't anything in of itself. I don't really think its a disorder, instead, a lot of people just naturally overcome it, for better or worse. Anxiety is something programmed into humans, because you have to give careful, rational thought to everything you do, for everything we do, there's a potential to die, albeit extremely minimal if not near impossible in most situations.

And that's where the 50/50 thing comes from. We train ourselves to start thinking in pure 50/50 odds for everything, and in reality, that's the truth. Something will happen, or won't. Probability and true percentages are more correct, but it's still it will or won't happen.
Don't let something that simple consume you. Just learn to cope, and find ways in which you can overcome that. I'm the same way, and have found a few things that work in some situations where I normally have some anxiety (limbs shaking, sometimes noticeably to onlookers... crowds mess with my head).
 
Originally posted by: illusion88
Just like if you flip a quarter three times, the chances of not getting a heads (yes) in those 3 times is quite slim

This is in fact not true. There is a 50% chance you will get all tails. Each flip is independent and thus has a 50% to hit tails

Each flip is independent, but the chance of getting no heads in 3 flips, is equal to the chance of getting 3 tails in a row, which is 12.5%.


OP: your logic system leads to amusing conclusions. Using his probability "system", for any event with 2 outcomes that has happened 20 times, the probability that both outcomes will have occurred is 99.99999%. So basically anything that can happen should have happened already or will very shortly. 😉

 
Originally posted by: mjuszczak
I've realized a bit about my thought process lately and how I calculate percentages in my mind. I think it helps explain a bit of my anxious attitude towards life.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I know perfectly well how to calculate percentages on paper. If 8 people have to split a pizza pie evenly, then they each get 1/8th of the pie -- no more and no less.

But in my mind, on a daily basis, my thoughts are entirely different and that's what makes me paranoid.

Example #1: I used to gamble a lot when I first turned 21, because I used to forget about the actual percentages of winning and instead focus on the yes/no aspect of things. Instead of thinking there's a 10% chance of me winning, I used to think there's a 50% of me winning: either I will, or I won't. Now granted, in my mind, I used to think that I probably won't, but the logic in my head still kept me going. Now of course, on PAPER, I knew it was different.

Example #2: I'm sick right now, and my doctor gave me 5 tests to get done -- lyme, etc. I'm paranoid to get the blood work done because I keep thinking something will come out positive. Since there are three tests, and each of them is a yes/no answer, ONE of them is BOUND to be yes. Just like if you flip a quarter three times, the chances of not getting a heads (yes) in those 3 times is quite slim. Now of course, on paper, I can calculate the chances of any of those 3 being positive as something like 1/1000, but it still makes me feel very scared... because while the answers will most likely be "no, no, and no", just a SINGLE yes could ruin my life.

So anyway, that's my story. I'm not really looking for advice. Just a way to vent.

i think your thought process is completely fine.

if you'd like to play some hold em sometime we have a live game the last saturday of every month at my buddy shannon's house. bring your wallet.
 
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