Matthew Welden discusses the development of a hypervigilant culture within the U.S., with attention-grabbing low-frequency incidents overshadowing the far deadlier but less sensational everyday risks. While we now live in a modern world where people are living longer, freer, and richer than ever before, more of us have become captives of fear. The author defines the condition of hypervigilance, illustrates the condition with historical examples, and then offers some solutions to the condition and ethical arguments for their consideration.