History Main / WorryingForTheWrongReason

* In his book ''Conceptual Physics'', Paul Hewitt explains (in one of the proposed exercised near the end of the chapter on gravitation) that the interior of a black hole has an extremely powerful gravitational force that is likely to tear apart anything and anyone unlucky enough to fall there. However, he remarks that there's no need to worry about that, as a person approaching a black hole would die ''long'' before crossing the event horizon due to the surrounding gravitational tides. He proposes the reader to explain why the tides are so deadly.

* ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsHonorAmongThieves'': In the second trailer, Forge assures Edgin that he does not, in fact, have any wish to see him die... [[NoExceptYes So he's going to leave the room and let him die in private.]]

-->'''First fisherman''': There aren't any sharks in here, are there?\\
'''Second fisherman''': Nah. Crocodiles ate all the sharks.

[[folder:Film - Animated]]

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]

-->'''Ennesby''': Uh-oh. Those look like real police.\\
'''Tagon''': Uh-oh. [[{{Tsundere}} Elf]] is ''smiling'' at them.

-->'''Twilight Sparkle''': But don't worry, I've just received a letter from Princess Celestia informing me that it is not coming from a fire.
-->'''Fluttershy:''' Oh, thank goodness.
-->'''Twilight Sparkle''': It's coming from a dragon.

* This phenomenon can also be observed in real life. Many people worry about stuff that most of the time will never happen or is extremely unlikely to happen. Ironically other, more likely causes of concern, will not worry people that much. For instance, many people have a fear of flying, while in reality, more car accidents happen every year than with planes[[note]]This statistic is misleading. Far more people are driving cars every day than taking planes. It uses the same fallacious logic of "83% of accidents happen in the home", without noting that most people ''spend their off-time at home''.[[/note]]. Another example: people worry about a next world war, while a huge environmental disaster or epidemics are far more realistic future concerns.
* Panics over diseases are pretty good examples of this. In the US, every few years, fears over an epidemic of a disease such as swine flu or the ebola virus will generate panic for a short time, while others will frequently mention how other less "trendy" diseases such as the more typical flu or malaria will rack up a much larger body count but don't get nearly as much attention because they're more mundane and therefore don't grab the public's attention the same way.[[note]]The UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic appears to be an exception to this, as it actually ''has'' racked up higher body counts than more mundane illnesses like the flu, even with exceptional measures being taken.[[/note]]
* The number one cause of death in most developed countries is heart disease. Diabetes is also high on the list. Few people run screaming in terror from a UsefulNotes/McDonalds, though.
* The odds of dying in a terrorist attack in the United States are roughly one in twenty million. The War on Terror is estimated to have cost approximately five ''trillion'' dollars as of this writing. SkewedPriorities indeed.
* The same goes for more mundane fears. People often worry what ''other people'' will think of this or that, while most of the time the reactions will be not as unanimously bad or hysterical as one might fear. Or if they happen they tend to occur for only a short period of time.
* A lot of smokers put on perfume or deodorant out of fear of smelling bad in company. And then they light up their cigarettes without any concern about that scent.
* A lot of pedophile hunts focus on strangers the child could connect with digitally or weirdos in public places. The vast majority of children who are molested are done so by people they know in person.

* In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/MiloMurphysLaw'', Milo and Zach end up in Coyote Woods, but Milo assures Zach there aren't any coyotes in it. It was actually named after actor Peter Coyote, who donated the property to the city... as a wolf preserve. Cue wolf howl.
-->'''Zach:''' You get how that's not better?\\

* In his book ''Conceptual Physics'', Paul Hewitt explains that the interior of a black hole has an extremely powerful gravitational force that is likely to tear apart anything and anyone unlucky enough to fall there. However, he remarks that there's no need to worry about that, as a person approaching a black hole would die ''long'' before crossing the event horizon due to the surrounding gravitational tides.

''[Butch starts laughing hysterically]''\\

* ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'' ends with the Joker telling Franchise/{{Batman}} a joke based around this trope: [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Two crazy guys]] break out of a BedlamHouse and plan to escape by jumping to the roof a nearby building. One makes the jump, but the other fears that he'll fall. The first man tries to help by shining a flashlight across the gap and [[InsaneTrollLogic telling his friend use the beam of light as a bridge]]. The second man responds "What do think I am? Crazy? [[RightForTheWrongReasons You'd turn it off when I was halfway across!]]". The entire joke is clearly [[RuleOfSymbolism a metaphor]] on Joker's part for his relationship with Batman; Batman is insane but somewhat functional and tries futilely to help people like Joker who cannot safely function in society.

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]

[[folder:Film]]
* [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=24p16EEfdg8 The most famous scene]] in ''Film/ButchCassidyAndTheSundanceKid'' is built around an instance of this trope (and an aversion of SoftWater), as seen in the page quote.

* A close variant in ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban''. Hermione's SkewedPriorities are a RunningGag in the film series.
-->'''Harry:''' I didn't mean to blow [Marge Dursley] up. I just... I lost control.\\
'''Ron:''' Brilliant!\\
'''Hermione:''' Honestly, Ron, it's not funny. Harry was lucky not to be expelled.\\
'''Harry:''' ''(dryly)'' I think I was I was lucky not to be ''arrested'', actually.\\
'''Ron:''' I still think it was brilliant.

* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' has [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2006-04-30 this]].
--> '''Ennesby''': Uh-oh. Those look like real police.\\
'''Tagon''': Uh-oh. [[{{Tsundere}} Elf]] is ''smiling'' at them.

'''Gaia''': (''[[DissonantSerenity Still giving a loving hug]]'') You're fucking yourself over big time and won't be missed.

** ''Literature/MakingMoney'' introduces the drink Splot, a sort of KlatchianCoffee UpToEleven. People are often reassured when they hear Splot is nonalchoholic...until they're told it's because "alcohol wouldn't survive."

* ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': The Chitauri have decided that there is no more time to try to assimilate earth: it has to be destroyed in a single explosion instead. Herr Kleiser is sad about the loss... he was about to consume and replace the Wasp, but now he will never be able to experiment the female human form.