Perceived fear vs. actual probability
Which should you actually worry about?
Compare any two risks with cited probabilities and sources.
Scopes vary — shown as typical adult lifetime odds. See methodology.
Not just risks — decisions.
The other thing people get wrong: which choice they'll regret. Each pair shows the share who regret acting versus the share who regret not acting.
Keeping vs rehoming a pet
% who regret this choice
Inaction dominates
Inaction regret 5.7× higher
The perception gap.
The rare risks we over-rate — vivid, almost never happen — versus the near-certainties we shrug off. Same scale, wildly different odds.
Hand hygiene
What are the odds of getting sick in a year if you rarely wash your hands?
WAIS tipping point
What are the odds of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet's tipping point being crossed in your lifetime?
Food left out
What are the odds of getting food poisoning from eating food left out of the fridge?
Every number on this page is cited, cross-checked, and archived. The moat is trust.
Chronic back pain
Headline odds: ~4 in 5 lifetime · framed as under-rated
Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / NCHS
"Among adults, 39.0% experienced back pain, 36.5% experienced lower limb pain, and 30.7% experienced upper limb pain. [...] The percentage of adults who experienced back pain increased with age. [...] Women, non-Hispanic white adults, and those with income below 100% FPL were most likely to experience back pain."
Every figure opens to its named study and a frozen archived copy — so a number can’t quietly change after you’ve read it.
443 risks carry a sourced number. 79 where the honest answer is still: no reliable estimate.