Chris Hadfield on how to separate fear from danger*

The world's most famous astronaut Chris Hadfield on the difference between fear and danger:


"The walking in space is dangerous. The spacesuit is really just a balloon of cloth that keeps you alive. And during my first spacewalk there was contamination in the suit that got into my eyes and blinded me. So there was a definite level of danger. You asked about me being afraid. There's not always a direct link between danger and fear. Just because there's danger it doesn't mean you need to be afraid. During my spacewalk it was definitely more dangerous to be blind outside but fortunately through a lot of training and preparation and changing your basic behaviors it didn't make me fearful  nearly as much as it just made me focus on what I needed to do next. And fortunately my eyes cleared and I could see and then finish the spacewalk. I think it's important to know the difference between danger and blind fear and maybe try and react appropriately and not just fearfully".

*Excerpt from my interview with Chris Hadfield – First Canadian Astronaut to walk in space. Read more how the life on Earth looks like from the space here and on the beauty of a spacewalk here