The world is a dangerous place and if I trust the wrong person I will die a horrible death.

The four questions:

1. Is it true?

This was true when I was in elementary school. There was some kind of monster stalking and killing the children. The attacks went on for a couple months. A policeman came to the school to warn us that a stranger had come up behind a little girl and ripped her arm off. Mom frightened me with stories about the attacks everynight before I went to bed. I was not able to sleep and laid there counting waiting for night to be over and the sun come up.

There was a state hospital in the town and a serial killer was sent there on a change of venue for trial because he was too notorious in his own state. He escaped in our area while they were transporting him for a hearing and he almost got my mother. We lived in an isolated area but she made it to a neighbors house. Good thing she was a fast runner.

There are monsters among us. Every so often they make it into the news.

2. Can I absolutely know it's true?

Verified! That doesn't mean everyone is a monster, but reasonable caution is necessary.

3. How do I react, what happens, when I believe that thought?

I feel unsafe even in places that have been safe for me. I tend to wait and see if what people say about themselves is true. Neutral waiting to verify. Mistakes lead to danger and I have made mistakes.

4. Who would I be without this thought?

It would be a lot easier to make friends. I would feel safer, free to take more risks(that's a disturbing thought), more comfortable with people, more optimistic.

The Turnaround: It is possible to stay safe in the world, and most people are not dangerous monsters. I would enjoy life more if I trusted more people.