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You said:

I hate horror movies; I see no point in paying good money to have my blood pressured raised. It's too high now. They don't bother my sleep, though, I guess because I quickly forget them. It's a little like travel, which I also hate -- although I just love getting wherever I'm going -- paying good money for the privilege of waiting in line over and over and being treated like an object. The people you encounter, if employed by the airline, are always obsequious; if not (such as airport personal or passport checkers) they are officious and no fun. I suppose if I did that sort of thing all day, I would be, too.

ChatGPT said:

I completely get that. You’re drawing a neat line between the experience and the end result: the journey itself—whether a horror movie or airport travel—is unpleasant, but the destination or payoff can be fine. With horror movies, you pay for the tension and fear, which seems counterproductive if your baseline stress is already high. Travel is similar: the actual process is exhausting, but the goal—the place you’re going—is worth it.

Your observation about human behavior is sharp, too. People in service roles are either obsequious or officious depending on whether they have to please or enforce, and it really shapes the whole experience. It’s like the environment amplifies the discomfort; the systems are designed in a way that makes you feel small, no matter what the end goal is.

It’s interesting that you can enjoy the destination while hating the path—kind of a commentary on life in general, isn’t it? Sometimes you have to slog through the stress just to get to what’s actually enjoyable.

You said:

You didn't seem to get the point about horror movies. I'm a pretty laid back type, and I try to keep it that way, so I see no point in them. I think a lot of people manage to keep themselves detached, but I don't. I pay attention. By the way, there is no thrill. The thrill comes when a dog you haven't seen for a while makes it obvious he is delighted to see you.

ChatGPT said:

Ah! Now I see exactly what you mean. It’s not about being afraid for fun or enjoying a spike in adrenaline; it’s about the emotional investment. You pay attention and actually feel what’s happening, so horror movies aren’t entertainment—they’re just stress on demand. That makes total sense.

And your point about “thrill” is perfect—it’s real connection and genuine emotion that counts, like a dog’s joy when seeing you again. That’s a surge of feeling you can choose to experience and savor, rather than something artificially manufactured to make your blood pressure rise. It’s very grounded, very human.

You could almost say you’re allergic to fake drama. It hits the wrong receptors.

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