Worry Check: Sense of Safety

To what degree are folks around us worried about their security?

Every week we send a few questions to Louisvillians from across the city who are up to all kinds of things as they go about their lives. Last week, we tapped in to our collective vibe-o-meters to see if people we know are on alert about various forms of personal safety.

Based on what you hear among your circles and see around you as you go about your day, how would you rate the following…

1 – rarely worry (green)
2
3 – often in the back of my mind (yellow)
4
5 – always on alert (red)

Folks’ fear for their safety outside the house

Folks’ fear of a personal crisis having to do with money

Folks’ fear of a personal crisis having to do with health (physical or mental)

Folks’ fear of a crisis having to do with social unrest

Worth noting:

• As far as worry goes, most of us would likely say that “often in the back of my mind” is significantly more than we want, yet all of these hover close to that level

• Fear of a personal financial crisis (and we used the word “crisis”):
  • 35% of us said the people we know are always on alert or one tick below that
  • Folks who work in healthcare, government/public service, and clergy were most likely engage with people on higher alert

• Fear of social unrest:
  • The most common answer was 3 (often in the back of my mind)
  • Profession with the least concern: Media, Marketing & Communications

• Fear of safety outside the house:
  • Level 2 & 3 had equal votes; Level 1 not far behind
  • Only 1% of us chose 5 – “always on alert”

• Fear of a health crisis:
  • Nearly half of us chose 3 – “often in the back of my mind”

“I think there’s a big intersection between concerns about a crisis with money and a crisis with health. Healthcare is directly impacted by one’s personal finances. If you have health insurance, it’s likely gotten notably more expensive in the last couple of years and there’s no guarantee that needs are actually covered. It’s really frustrating to be paying for something every month only to have it be a super inadequate product once you actually need it. We just need a better system.”

“What folks in my circle fear is 1) our president and 2) climate change – We have the luxury of not having the day to day worries of money and health…but the downfall of society as we know it is something we really worry about.”

“I don’t think fear is in the forefront in my middle-class world but there is a quiet white noise of fear playing in the background.”

“Those who consume right-wing materials have heightened fears for their safety outside the house (both real and imagined); Liberals tend to be more concerned about civil unrest. Money and health crises seem to be universal…”

“I think most of us have normalized a lot of dangerous things happening in the community and have put them back of mind to cope. Not just crime but fear of getting into a car accident because of how people drive, fear of an interaction escalating and people becoming violent over something stupid.”