Psychologists reveal what our obsession with the missing Titanic submarine says about us

Independent -  The search for the submersible captured the attention of millions. . .  According to Dr Justin D’Arienzo – a clinical psychologist in Jacksonville, Florida and former US Navy psychologist – the reason the public has been so invested is down to our desire to relate to others that sustains our obsession.

“We all can relate to that feeling of being trapped somewhere or being in the water or experiencing that level of uncertainty,” he tells The Independent. “What makes it so relatable is that we all could imagine being helpless with other humans and not know what to do.”. . .. .

“People paying $250,000 to go into a tube that’s going to go underwater, there is some obsession with rich and famous people. We’re sensitized to voyeurism in that regard,” says  D’Arienzo. “We quickly follow people who we see are powerful; we give them more leeway. There’s a reason that we follow the lifestyles of the rich and famous.”  ....

Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist who specializes in social cognition and decision-making, told Insider that one reason they’re willing to spend so much money, just to be put in great danger, is to break free from the mundanity of their everyday lives. And the reason why some people sign on to high-risk travel, Dr D’Arienzo says, is because they believe the venture is almost too big to fail."