SCH 116 Six Things Dall Sheep Taught Me About Threat Perception

How do you respond to threat perception? I spent some time observing Dall Sheep, and decided I could learn a few things from them.

“Why didn’t the school call me right when it happened?” The anguished parent wanted to know. “Maybe I could have made it in time to hold my child’s hand.”

The question haunts me. Did the adults at the scene want to wait to inform parents until the EMTs arrived? Were they busy protecting the other students involved and offering first aid to the injured? In the confusion of a disastrous semi-vs. school bus crash, how does one prioritize responses to disaster?

I know the school called parents. But I know students called their parents and texted their classmates long before I even knew about the crash.

I’d like to think I’d remain cool-headed during a crisis, but I’ve only experienced low-level disasters. No food and 40 hungry students. Squirrels eating half the bread set out for supper. Bears on the trail. I can remain calm during those situations.

How do you respond to threat perception? Small threats or ones where someone’s life hangs in the balance? I’d like to think I can prepare ahead of time for facing different kinds of threats without living in constant fear of perceived threats.

In fact, I’ll imagine a worst-case scenario and walk myself through the steps I should take. I imagine myself calmly telling students to back away slowly while I pull out the bear spray to spray an approaching bear. Or I imagine breaking the windows in my submerged car and swimming to safety. So far, only one of these two scenarios has ever taken place.

Danger threatens us from all sides. Our response to it determines whether we feel constantly stressed or relatively calm. I spent time observing Dall sheep in Denali National Park a few years ago. Their response to threat perception can teach us a lot.

How do you respond to threats? Have you ever thought through worst-case scenarios?

Some people use guided imagery to help them through stressful situations.

There’s even a Worst–Case Scenario game if you’d like to learn how to respond to dangerous situations.

Or the Worst-Case Scenario book might be your cup of tea.

Next week I’ll share what I’ve learned about self-care from lizards.

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