I think that fear is just one of the many responses humans like to stimulate. Spicy foods and deep massages? Fancy pain. Fireworks and laser shows? Fancy lights and colors. I wonder if it ties into the ability to remember that we survived the painful stimulus long enough to enjoy the aftermath, so we’re more likely to seek out that stimulus in the future? High risk = high reward kind of thing.
Also brings this to mind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernormal_stimulus
What is your professional opinion on decimal feet? I had to use such a measuring tape at work, it took me half a day to figure out what was going on with that abomination.
Edit: to clarify, feet were divided in 10 units, not 12, so one and a half feet was at the “5” mark between 1 and 2 ft, not the “6” mark.