The Allure of Risk: Are Humans Hard-Wired to Be Drawn to Death-Defying Stunts?
When Nik Wallenda, highwire daredevil and seventh-generation descendent of the legendary Flying Wallendas, was told he must wear a potentially life-saving tether during his tightrope walk across Niagara Falls next week, he fought the idea to the end.
And when news broke that he had lost that battle, making his high-profile stunt merely amazing and not death-defying, there was a public sigh — not of relief — but of disappointment.
“We want it to be exciting and thrilling, but we also want every parent in America to hear loud and clear that we’re going to make it comfortable for them to watch with their kids,” said Jeffrey W. Schneider, spokesman for ABC, the U.S. television network broadcasting the event next Friday night.
What does it say about Mr. Wallenda that he fought a protective move that seems so sensible; and what does it say about the audience that removing the risk of death lessens the interest in the spectacle?
In many ways, it says we’re human.