ABSTRACT
The enjoyment of the spectacle, rather than alarm about the danger, is facilitated by the presence of others. The pleasure in the spectacle of a great force unleashed may come partly from a feeling of identification with, or participation in it. The enjoyment of such a sight may also derive in part from a sense of mastery over earlier, childhood fears—the fear of the little child who runs back in alarm from the roar and leap of the oncoming wave on the beach, or who is frightened of the fire. Alarm about an impending danger may be aroused or intensified by other people’s expressions of fear or gloomy forecasts. Where physical signs and broadcast warnings may have left people unaffected, they may begin to be alarmed where they see others taking the potential danger seriously. The presence of others in moments of anticipated danger reduces the dread of abandonment.
