‘By choice kyun karoon main?’: Why Vikrant Massey avoids horror movies and extreme sports — explained by experts

Massey isn’t alone in this selective behaviour. Many people stay away from anything that promises thrills. But why?

Massey stays away from adventure activities like bungee jumping, roller coaster rides, or sky diving (photo: Instagram/Vikrant Massey)

The psychological explanation

“There are people who completely refuse to watch horror movies, and to tell you the truth, it is not only a matter of ‘being scared’,” Dr Pretty Duggar Gupta, Consultant Psychiatrist, Aster Whitefield, Bengaluru, explains. “From a medical and psychological perspective, the brain of each person reacts differently to fear. For certain people, even a threat presented in a story can trigger a real physiological stress reaction — racing heart, tight chest, sweating, or a feeling of losing control. Their brain just doesn’t get the point when it says, ‘Nope, this is not safe,’ although it is safe.”

The same logic applies to skydiving, bungee jumping or any adrenaline-heavy activity. “Sometimes it is only a matter of personal preference — some people do not like the feeling of their stomach dropping,” the psychiatrist notes. “However, in most cases, the decision not to engage in such activities is related to the person’s nervous system wiring. Those who have higher baseline anxiety, have had negative experiences in the past, or possess a stronger ‘threat radar’ will inevitably choose to stay away from anything that may overstimulate their body.”

 

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Early life also quietly shapes these choices. If a person was brought up in a “calmer or more cautious environment” or experienced “scary events” in the past, the brain learns to prioritise safety over thrill. “Conversely, those who have had the experience of healthy risk-taking or have had the support of the people they look up to usually become more open to excitement when they grow up.” Dr Gupta stresses that this is not about courage. “The question of being ‘brave’ or ‘weak’ does not even arise. Your mind–body system is a way in which it protects you, and no one else’s system is exactly the same.”

All these responses come down to the brain’s fear circuitry. “We need to talk about the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, which play a key role in how we perceive threat. In some individuals, this system is more reactive, which means even imagined danger, such as that in a horror film, can activate the same physiological pathways as a real threat.” Over time, early experiences tune this circuit. For instance, a child who grows up in an environment where safety is emphasised over exploration may develop a nervous system that prioritises predictability. “Conversely, supportive exposure to mild challenges helps build what we call stress resilience.”

In that sense, Massey’s refusal to chase adrenaline is less an odd quirk and more a reflection of how his brain and body have learned to protect him — something many quietly relate to.