h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

>>humans seem to be the only creatures on Earth that worry<<
If we are the only creatures that worry, we are also the only creatures which have shown ourselves to be so adaptable to the changing environments in which we live, often by changing those environments to suit ourselves.
Worry does, of course, stem from the desire to control or at least influence, that environment, and is, all too often concerned with how we have already affected the events to come by our previous actions.But what is worry if not concern? Isn't it just care for what will happen? It's true much of it is needless, and mostly the worry goes on way past its usefullness, but it does have a use, it IS important. There is a case in favour of worrying. (hmmm... or maybe I'm just trying to justify my unwillingness to try to change.. )
Suppose Ms X is anxious about providing for her coming baby but dad-to-be Mr X says, "hey, don't worry".. well clearly this isn't good enough, is it? "Good" worry leads to action, to avoid the worried-about situation. Good worry is concern that leads to further thought that leads to the recognition of whether there is anything that can be done, and the doing of that something if possible.
Imagine Caveman Fred sees the coming snow
one night, perhaps in the changing theoretical landscape it's something he's never seen before, but he feels the dropping temperature and says to Cavewoman Ethel "grunt grunt". Cavewoman Ethel replies "Oh I do wish you would communicate in more than monosyllables, and anyway, we've been fine out here every night, why worry?"
Isn't it this human capacity to mentally play out the possible eventualities that has made us so very adaptable? I think so. Obviously I am not talking about the excessive and pointless worrying at an already exhausted subject that we most of us succumb to from time to time, but even so, there seems to me to be a valid case for worrying as a part of being human. It's not all bad, I don't think I'll start getting anxious about how much I worry just yet anyway

Yes ok, what you have said is a good thing and I agree with the points made, but your argument is a logical one and that doesn’t always help. When one is very worried about something it can be difficult to change mental tracks - worry especially, out of the emotions, has a tendency to spiral out of control.

I completely agree, extreme worry, anxiety, endless circling worry that keeps you awake at night and fills your head.. this is not easily dealt with and is not helpful for anyone. I do my share of it too..
Even so, *worry* in itself is not a completely negative thing

Interesting point of view. We should consciously and actively worry. If it is in our nature to worry why deny ourselves this natural process - we just can't be happy all the time - this would be unnatural.
Just sit and accept it. Worry actively - worry peacefully - worry on your terms. Think about all the possibilities of the thing you are worried about happening. Its wonderfully constructive. Tune in to your true nature.

Someone once told me your worries are your fears. And what is fear?

False
Experience
Appearing
Real

Think about it - turn your fear of failure into hope of success!

Man.... have a worry and and be happy

Words from the MajicOakMan

I tend towards this attitude! I see worry as a natural thing for us humans to do. Why worry about worrying? People say, 'worrying doesn't solve a thing', and that may be true, but worrying is not about *solving* things, it's true use is in *prodding us on* to solve things. If for instance there's a huge pothole in the road, one person may worry about a car hitting it and causing an accident, while another doesn't worry, figuring the driver will see it. The guy who worries goes and get the pothole filled; if he wasn't there, the pothole just might have caused an accident!

There are lots of things to worry about. My own greatest worries are about the deterioration of the global environment. A non-worrier might say ... 'So what? So what if there's a bit of pollution in the atmosphere or the oceans or our drinking water? So what if a few species become extinct? So what if the global temperature rises a few degrees? At any rate, all of those things might not even happen! Or if they happen, we might turn out capable of coping with them just fine.' The worrier sees those things as real problems; s/he lies awake at night thinking about those problems and possible solutions; s/he tries to convince other people that there's a problem and urges them to help find the solutions; s/he writes about the possible problems and suggests possible solutions, etc.

The worrying in itself doesn't solve anything but the activity stimulated by worry just might.

In my own case, I do not for a second regret any of the worrying I've been through in my life. Much of my worrying has stimulated me into thought or action directed towards solving problems I worry about.

While we're at it ... what's so bad about fear? Fear, too, is a natural thing for humans to do. I mean, it's part of our evolution. The guys who didn't fear sabre-toothed tigers or cave bears were quickly weeded out. Today there are still things that fear tells us we should best avoid.