In a conversation with Robert Wright, evolutionary psychiatrist Randolph Nesse describes a reason for this. He says that our threat detection system, like many other bodily responses, is shaped by natural selection to be hypersensitive. It errs on the side of overreaction to ensure that it goes off when it needs to. He adds, This is why we put up with smoke detectors. They don’t warn us about a fire but once in a lifetime, but they warn us about burnt toast every week. - Randolph Nesse
