Data is data. Or is it?
As is the case in many things, yes and no. When speaking with a scientist, the term “data” implies objective data. This means that the information is quantified in a manner that is universally agreed upon. For example the unit of a kilogram is not relative and does not change. It is based upon quantum physics, using Plank’s constant which defines a specific amount of energy, which is related to mass (and therefore to weight). Objectively, we can agree that a certain object (like a chair) weighs four kilograms.
This is different than nonscientific “data” that is subjective. “Subjective” denotes that it is dependent on the individual and is not universally agreed upon: to an adult, a four chair kilogram may be light, but to a child it may be very heavy.
So what does this have to do with anxiety and worry? What is subjectively scary for one person (being in a small space, a dog or physical sensations) may not be scary for someone else. For example, many adults who have panic attacks are afraid of feeling dizzy, while many children love to roll down a grassy hill or be spun around.
What is the same in both situations? The objective sensation of dizziness is the same if someone is spun around twenty times, but the subjective cognitions (“I must be dying” versus “This is fun”) change. This isn’t to say that we need to enjoy ‘scary’ sensations, but if can recognize that I am unlikely to die from being spun around, while I may never like the sensation, I don’t have to fear it.
This process of thinking about thinking is essential in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and what we train our patients to do. This helps them learn to assess their own thinking and then be able to endure uncomfortable sensations and situations, eventually learning that the issue isn’t the issue, but the way of thinking is.