How can I build a list of the non-lethal yet still unfortunate things that are most likely to happen to me?
November 10, 2010 12:01 AM Subscribe
How can I build a list of the non-lethal yet still unfortunate things that are most likely to happen to me?
I want to put together a list of the most likely bad things that can happen to me so that I can consider how to prevent/mitigate them.
Unlike this thread I'm not seeking out the "uncommon & dangerous", but rather "common & unfortunate", whether the damage is financial, medical, personal, or other.
From resources like this and this, I've been able to find the most common causes of death & injury, and by working with my doctor I can figure out what medical risks I should watch out for.
I'm having a harder time finding the frequency of various things that don't cause death or serious injury, but are nonetheless common and unfortunate.
Examples:
- Computer failure with data loss
- Identity theft
- Car stolen
- Tooth cavity
- Lose wallet
- Eye-popping healthcare expense
- Get mugged
- House burgled
Any tips on how I can build a more complete list, and rank the items by likelihood?
I want to put together a list of the most likely bad things that can happen to me so that I can consider how to prevent/mitigate them.
Unlike this thread I'm not seeking out the "uncommon & dangerous", but rather "common & unfortunate", whether the damage is financial, medical, personal, or other.
From resources like this and this, I've been able to find the most common causes of death & injury, and by working with my doctor I can figure out what medical risks I should watch out for.
I'm having a harder time finding the frequency of various things that don't cause death or serious injury, but are nonetheless common and unfortunate.
Examples:
- Computer failure with data loss
- Identity theft
- Car stolen
- Tooth cavity
- Lose wallet
- Eye-popping healthcare expense
- Get mugged
- House burgled
Any tips on how I can build a more complete list, and rank the items by likelihood?
See, I think one of the worst things that can happen to someone of our age and gender is to be paranoid of life. That being said never under circumstances feed a wild animal.
posted by Felex at 12:09 AM on November 10, 2010 [16 favorites]
posted by Felex at 12:09 AM on November 10, 2010 [16 favorites]
Best answer: You're not taking into account how most of the unfortunate things in life are caused by other people - having your heart broken, a friend disappointing you, a family member dying of cancer.
posted by vacapinta at 12:29 AM on November 10, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by vacapinta at 12:29 AM on November 10, 2010 [6 favorites]
Car stolen
I carry a lot of tools in my trunk and I have photographed all of them and retained receipts where possible (I have a lot of older second hand tools for which I have collected the final selling price on eBay as proof of value). This makes a big difference when you have to deal with your insurance company after your car is stolen. Where you list tool box & various tools as stolen they may reimburse you $50. When you provide them with photos of your Kennedy Cantilever toolbox with measuring and inspection tools all meticulously documented, you will get closer to the $500 they are worth.
posted by mlis at 12:36 AM on November 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
I carry a lot of tools in my trunk and I have photographed all of them and retained receipts where possible (I have a lot of older second hand tools for which I have collected the final selling price on eBay as proof of value). This makes a big difference when you have to deal with your insurance company after your car is stolen. Where you list tool box & various tools as stolen they may reimburse you $50. When you provide them with photos of your Kennedy Cantilever toolbox with measuring and inspection tools all meticulously documented, you will get closer to the $500 they are worth.
posted by mlis at 12:36 AM on November 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
You could get annual crime stats from your city and find your approximate risk of assault, robbery, murder, etc. (just divide by the population. narrow it down by demographic where you can.)
For something like tooth cavity you could look for stats on the total number of fillings performed in the US per year and divide by the population to get average fillings per person annually.
posted by PercussivePaul at 12:38 AM on November 10, 2010
For something like tooth cavity you could look for stats on the total number of fillings performed in the US per year and divide by the population to get average fillings per person annually.
posted by PercussivePaul at 12:38 AM on November 10, 2010
B-but ... but paranoia is the flipside to blinding clarity!!!1!
That said, i don't see evacuation from sudden ACTS OF [!?] (e.g. earthquake, tsunami, flood, fire, volcano, nuclear power plant etc.) on the initial roster. And how having your x ready by the door can help (where x=water pump, tent, documents in a waterproof box, extra $50/gold dubloon, etc,).
As to the actuary/ranking stuff, I got nothing. Seems like however you settle on doing it would be a pretty good portrait of what you hold dearest.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 1:01 AM on November 10, 2010
That said, i don't see evacuation from sudden ACTS OF [!?] (e.g. earthquake, tsunami, flood, fire, volcano, nuclear power plant etc.) on the initial roster. And how having your x ready by the door can help (where x=water pump, tent, documents in a waterproof box, extra $50/gold dubloon, etc,).
As to the actuary/ranking stuff, I got nothing. Seems like however you settle on doing it would be a pretty good portrait of what you hold dearest.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 1:01 AM on November 10, 2010
Not an easy one to answer, because so much depends on whether you're staying on the boat, or getting out of the boat. If you're getting out of the boat.. just let me be the first to say.. Never Get Outta The Boat.
Or to put it more directly - precisely where you are, who you are and how you live your life (on a level much more specific than the detail you've provided us) affects the type and level of risk you face.
eg. If you live near a wetland environment in Florida and you like both drinking and midnight swimming, you're probably at significant risk of bites from particular types of animal. If you live near remote forest in Washington state and you share the same interests, the risk is either from very different types of animal, or from the environment itself.
The ability to fiddle with the finer details of this sort of calculation and come up with a genuinely useful risk assessment is the reason why competent actuaries are paid very well. It's not something you should be trying to do for yourself, or you'll just end up fearing and guarding against things that really needn't worry you.
posted by Ahab at 1:37 AM on November 10, 2010
Or to put it more directly - precisely where you are, who you are and how you live your life (on a level much more specific than the detail you've provided us) affects the type and level of risk you face.
eg. If you live near a wetland environment in Florida and you like both drinking and midnight swimming, you're probably at significant risk of bites from particular types of animal. If you live near remote forest in Washington state and you share the same interests, the risk is either from very different types of animal, or from the environment itself.
The ability to fiddle with the finer details of this sort of calculation and come up with a genuinely useful risk assessment is the reason why competent actuaries are paid very well. It's not something you should be trying to do for yourself, or you'll just end up fearing and guarding against things that really needn't worry you.
posted by Ahab at 1:37 AM on November 10, 2010
A lot of the things on your list are pretty much unexpected or out of your control (even with cavities your genetics probably make a huge difference)--I'd be more afraid of being so careful or focused on prevention that I can't appreciate the good stuff. I'd even say some bad things have positive effects, since you learn from them (hopefully).
That being said, I always seem to lose/forget/run-out-of-batteries-on my phone (always forget to charge my electronics!). Also, as my mother likes to remind me, so many little physical problems and illness can probably be prevented with 1) More sleep 2) Better Diet 3) More exercise.
Of course, I usually don't listen.
posted by sprezzy at 2:08 AM on November 10, 2010
That being said, I always seem to lose/forget/run-out-of-batteries-on my phone (always forget to charge my electronics!). Also, as my mother likes to remind me, so many little physical problems and illness can probably be prevented with 1) More sleep 2) Better Diet 3) More exercise.
Of course, I usually don't listen.
posted by sprezzy at 2:08 AM on November 10, 2010
Best answer: Relationship breakup.
Death of a family member or friend.
Lawsuit.
House fire.
Loss of valuables (wallet, or paperwork, or phone).
Car accident.
Have a pet run over.
Bedbug infestation.
Headlice infestation.
Pest infestation of house (cockroaches, mice, termites).
Flat battery of car.
Flat tyres on car or bike.
Loss of employment.
Bankruptcy.
Okay, I'm done.
posted by lollusc at 2:50 AM on November 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
Death of a family member or friend.
Lawsuit.
House fire.
Loss of valuables (wallet, or paperwork, or phone).
Car accident.
Have a pet run over.
Bedbug infestation.
Headlice infestation.
Pest infestation of house (cockroaches, mice, termites).
Flat battery of car.
Flat tyres on car or bike.
Loss of employment.
Bankruptcy.
Okay, I'm done.
posted by lollusc at 2:50 AM on November 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
Life sort of happens; you can't control for all variables. Sure you can wear your seatbelt and test your smoke detectors regularly, but eating low fat to prevent coronary heart disease and having your teeth cleaned regularly to prevent plaque isn't going to stop you getting appendicitis.
Having said that: get renters insurance.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:51 AM on November 10, 2010
Having said that: get renters insurance.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:51 AM on November 10, 2010
Best answer: You might check out Risk: A Practical Guide for Deciding What's Really Safe and What's Really Dangerous in the World Around You. It's pretty pop science-y, but it's a good guide for quick hits of a lot of the big worrisome stuff, and it's well indexed and easy to flip through.
The wikipedia entry on risk management might be a good jumping-off point if you're looking for how large organizations do the sort of thing you're wanting to do on a larger scale.
Your university and/or town might have statistics on crime rates; you might be able to crunch the numbers there to find out what crimes people in your demographic are most likely to be the victim of.
posted by NoraReed at 4:14 AM on November 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
The wikipedia entry on risk management might be a good jumping-off point if you're looking for how large organizations do the sort of thing you're wanting to do on a larger scale.
Your university and/or town might have statistics on crime rates; you might be able to crunch the numbers there to find out what crimes people in your demographic are most likely to be the victim of.
posted by NoraReed at 4:14 AM on November 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
The best thing you can do to mitigate the effects of negative things in your life is simply to take reasonable precautions without obsessing or becoming paranoid, and learn to deal with such circumstances in a level-headed and positive manner. When people live in fear of all the terrible things that could happen to them, they become unable to enjoy the beauty of life. Think of how much kids enjoy life, and they don't worry about anything. I think that's more than just coincidence.
posted by jehsom at 5:02 AM on November 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by jehsom at 5:02 AM on November 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Honestly, one of the hardest/worst lessons I've had to learn in life is that I am not in control of things. You can research and plan and maybe fear and lie awake at night scheming, but that doesn't mean you've got it all figured out. Learn some basic safety and first aid, make good choices about your health, credit and career, and go from there.
posted by runningwithscissors at 5:09 AM on November 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by runningwithscissors at 5:09 AM on November 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
Spend some quaility time with the 'rents or grand 'rents, if they're not certifiably crazy or some such. One day they'll be gone and since they've been around all your life, you have no idea what's it like for them to not only not be there, but to never, ever be there again.
Oh, and stop worrying so much about bad shit that can happen to you.
posted by nomadicink at 5:14 AM on November 10, 2010
Oh, and stop worrying so much about bad shit that can happen to you.
posted by nomadicink at 5:14 AM on November 10, 2010
Car fire. Get an extinguisher.
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:14 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:14 AM on November 10, 2010
Seconding what "runningwithscissors" just wrote. You are not in control! It just doesn't work that way. I could fill pages with the common and unfortunate things that have happened to me over the years. With a few minor exceptions, not a single one of them was within my control. You can't make a contingency plan for every eventuality that life might toss your way.
I think the best idea is to be sensible and get out there and live your life!
posted by MorningPerson at 6:13 AM on November 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
I think the best idea is to be sensible and get out there and live your life!
posted by MorningPerson at 6:13 AM on November 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
I think the best way to mitigate all of the issues is with having savings money in the bank to buy your way out of it.
posted by AugustWest at 6:19 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by AugustWest at 6:19 AM on November 10, 2010
Heh, I remember going through this same thing when I was in my twenties when, having emerged from adolescent delusions of invulnerability, I realized how many bad things can happen to people, INCLUDING ME.
I'm in my late 50s now, and as I think back on the bad things that actually did happen, to me and to friends, I would summarize my life learning thusly:
1. Make effort throughout your life to surround yourself with people who are honest, dependable, kind, and altruistic.
2. The best way to have such people in your life is to be that kind of person yourself. Be there for other people, offer support, pitch in, lend money, be the guy who'll pick a friend up at 3 am when their car's broken down. The intangible golden network you thus create will be the saving of you someday.
Beyond that, it also is an excellent idea to have a solid wad of cash tucked away somewhere; good insurance (including renter's, if applicable); a AAA or similar membership; and a well-cultivated sense of humor/proportion and the ability to spin disasters into great stories.
posted by Kat Allison at 7:05 AM on November 10, 2010 [6 favorites]
I'm in my late 50s now, and as I think back on the bad things that actually did happen, to me and to friends, I would summarize my life learning thusly:
1. Make effort throughout your life to surround yourself with people who are honest, dependable, kind, and altruistic.
2. The best way to have such people in your life is to be that kind of person yourself. Be there for other people, offer support, pitch in, lend money, be the guy who'll pick a friend up at 3 am when their car's broken down. The intangible golden network you thus create will be the saving of you someday.
Beyond that, it also is an excellent idea to have a solid wad of cash tucked away somewhere; good insurance (including renter's, if applicable); a AAA or similar membership; and a well-cultivated sense of humor/proportion and the ability to spin disasters into great stories.
posted by Kat Allison at 7:05 AM on November 10, 2010 [6 favorites]
Plan for the obvious contingencies, and don't sweat the rest:
Most of these are car-related (so, really, if you're paranoid, move to the city, and take public transportation everywhere -- you'll be immediately removing yourself from the most likely cause of death (and slight misfortune) in your particular demographic)
posted by schmod at 7:07 AM on November 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Most of these are car-related (so, really, if you're paranoid, move to the city, and take public transportation everywhere -- you'll be immediately removing yourself from the most likely cause of death (and slight misfortune) in your particular demographic)
- Keep air in that spare tire.
- Have a set of jumper cables coiled up on top of that spare tire.
- Keep a few blankets, and plenty of water in your car. (Unlikely, but pretty much effortless to plan for)
- Fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
- Change the batteries in your smoke alarms, and have a CO detector if your utilities are gas-based.
- Have insurance, and a rainy-day fund.
posted by schmod at 7:07 AM on November 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
At your age, the biggest emergencies I had to learn to cope with on my own were:
1) How to manage being severely sick in a house by myself. This meant creating an emergency food and medicine kit, having my phone easily accessible at all times, knowing when it's time to call 911, and giving spare house keys to my nearby friends in case they needed to stop by and help.
2) How to manage a car issue. Learning how to change a spare, jump a car, and getting a AAA membership. Also, knowing what to do in case of an accident: who to call, what papers to keep in the car.
3) How to handle a home emergency. Knowing what repairs I can do myself, being able to cope without electricity, learning how to mitigate large problems like leaks, fires, knowing who to call in case of an emergency.
Giving house keys to my close friends & family, keeping the phone (which I also use as an emergency camera and notepad) on me at all times, and knowing important numbers to call all have saved my ass more times than anything else. Add a stash of easily accessible cash and you can probably handle just about anything.
posted by Wossname at 7:41 AM on November 10, 2010
1) How to manage being severely sick in a house by myself. This meant creating an emergency food and medicine kit, having my phone easily accessible at all times, knowing when it's time to call 911, and giving spare house keys to my nearby friends in case they needed to stop by and help.
2) How to manage a car issue. Learning how to change a spare, jump a car, and getting a AAA membership. Also, knowing what to do in case of an accident: who to call, what papers to keep in the car.
3) How to handle a home emergency. Knowing what repairs I can do myself, being able to cope without electricity, learning how to mitigate large problems like leaks, fires, knowing who to call in case of an emergency.
Giving house keys to my close friends & family, keeping the phone (which I also use as an emergency camera and notepad) on me at all times, and knowing important numbers to call all have saved my ass more times than anything else. Add a stash of easily accessible cash and you can probably handle just about anything.
posted by Wossname at 7:41 AM on November 10, 2010
It seems like you could lessen the damage from almost everything everyone's mentioned by getting adequate insurance (health, auto, homeowner's/renter's, flood, etc.), having a savings account, and a good support network of family and friends.
Why family and friends? Because you're going to need someone to take you home from the dentist after your root canal, give your car a jump, talk to you after a breakup, comb your hair for headlice, etc.
Also: offsite backups for your computer, fire extinguisher, and learn how to fix a broken toilet (or at least, keep it from flooding your house until the plumber arrives).
posted by inertia at 8:01 AM on November 10, 2010
Why family and friends? Because you're going to need someone to take you home from the dentist after your root canal, give your car a jump, talk to you after a breakup, comb your hair for headlice, etc.
Also: offsite backups for your computer, fire extinguisher, and learn how to fix a broken toilet (or at least, keep it from flooding your house until the plumber arrives).
posted by inertia at 8:01 AM on November 10, 2010
The most inconveniencing thing that has happened to me is breaking my leg. It's a good four months of of inconvenience (as well as a fair bit of discomfort). Net long term effect on my life, none really. But bloody annoying.
Still in a medical vein and food poisoning is worse, but far shorter.
posted by rhymer at 8:19 AM on November 10, 2010
Still in a medical vein and food poisoning is worse, but far shorter.
posted by rhymer at 8:19 AM on November 10, 2010
+1 to paranoid thoughts being the most unfortunate thing that is currently, potentially happening to you
+1 to don't feed/approach wild animals unless you know what the deal is...
When in Yellowstone National Park it's not the Grizzly Bears that hurt the most people. It's the outwardly docile Bison/Buffalo.
Not that it's common elsewhere but if you're in the park...
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:33 AM on November 10, 2010
+1 to don't feed/approach wild animals unless you know what the deal is...
When in Yellowstone National Park it's not the Grizzly Bears that hurt the most people. It's the outwardly docile Bison/Buffalo.
Not that it's common elsewhere but if you're in the park...
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:33 AM on November 10, 2010
Most annoying thing that has happened to me: multiple rear-endings. I haven't worked out how to avoid this one in the future, aside from just never going anywhere.
posted by galadriel at 9:46 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by galadriel at 9:46 AM on November 10, 2010
Kitchen fire or spill of hot water can burn you pretty bad. Be careful in the kitchen.
It's easy to trip and fall if your area rugs are not secure. Use non-slip mats underneath.
posted by infinitewindow at 10:46 AM on November 10, 2010
It's easy to trip and fall if your area rugs are not secure. Use non-slip mats underneath.
posted by infinitewindow at 10:46 AM on November 10, 2010
Maybe you should rent the entire Final Destination series. No matter how well you plan, some freaky thing could take you out in 10 seconds.
Otherwise, don't smoke in bed, keep your cell phone charged, your gas tank at least 1/2 full, carry $20 at all times, and avoid dark alleys.
posted by Ideefixe at 11:45 AM on November 10, 2010
Otherwise, don't smoke in bed, keep your cell phone charged, your gas tank at least 1/2 full, carry $20 at all times, and avoid dark alleys.
posted by Ideefixe at 11:45 AM on November 10, 2010
Computer issues: Backup everything regularly. (My backups are weekly.) Keep off-site backups in case of fire. If you don't have backups, your options are to spend a lot of time trying to recover your stuff (documents, pictures, etc) yourself with online tutorials, or spend a lot of money paying someone else to do it. If you keep backups, all you usually have to do is replace a part or reinstall your OS, restore the backup, and you're good to go.
posted by IndigoRain at 3:05 PM on November 10, 2010
posted by IndigoRain at 3:05 PM on November 10, 2010
Another couple:
Locking yourself out of the house.
Getting pregnant/getting someone else pregnant.
posted by lollusc at 3:10 PM on November 10, 2010
Locking yourself out of the house.
Getting pregnant/getting someone else pregnant.
posted by lollusc at 3:10 PM on November 10, 2010
Somewhat related: Odds of Being Killed Infographic [via]
posted by DarlingBri at 2:33 AM on November 11, 2010
posted by DarlingBri at 2:33 AM on November 11, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by lunchbox at 12:03 AM on November 10, 2010