Willful Panic

Posted by: Josef Essberger

Since when was panic wilful?

Watching CNN (or one of the other cable channels endlessly broadcasting the end of the world as capitalism knows it) I heard one of the “expert commentators” describe last Thursday’s sell-off on the London Stock Exchange as “a bloodbath – sheer, unadulterated, willful panic”.

What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with “willful panic”? Please add your answers and comments.

(“When words lose their meaning, people lose their freedom.” Confucius)

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• Albert Einstein

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Posted by Josef Essberger October 2008
Contributor: Josef Essberger, founder of EnglishClub. Originally from London, England, Josef is the author of several books for learners of English including English Prepositions List and Learn English in 7.

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16 comments

• freedom waiter says:
  

  hi,
  I have n’t been stock exchanger up to know,but I think it’s better to say “natural panic” because it is ordinary nowadays.
  beg your attention

• Alex says:
  

  I think that “willful panic” is a right expression, because panic also human emotion expression that feel from external stimuli, so intentional panic is possible.

• Mohammed says:
  

  After all it’s all about panicking for it turns out that even the reporter at the time was panicking and thus used the term ambiguously . When humans panic they undergo the feeling unwillingly and unwittingly . I think that the 1929 New York Stock Exchange crisis , still in the Americans’ mind , could have been the cause of such panic.
  In all cases news presentation needs glossing and the term used remains part of that.

• olamilekan says:
  

  okay thanks for that and i am wishing for notice on the next 1 minute exam
  Thanks

• hmm says:
  

  in fact , i can`t understand what u are saying about “wilfull panic” plz in a simple way , explain it.

• Edward says:
  

  If there is a “willful panic”, there should be a willing panic; but I think I should never use neither of them.

• shalva says:
  

  I am not involved with selling on the stock exchange, but I see that sometimes there is base for panic.

• Fendi says:
  

  It should be “panicful will”, may be.

• Faisal says:
  

  True! It was a willful fulwill.If you understand what is happening,surly,you will understand what I am saying and vise versa.Pls.join the club.

• neca says:
  

  If I have a little respect for my opinions I would not dilute them with such horrible words.

• jhowel says:
  

  As I know about panic is that it is a sudden reaction, an outburst alarm or terror that affects other to act in an ordinaty way. It will never be willful since no one wants to be in a panic. Neither the people who coined this words would ascribe themselves as if in a willful panic.

• e2e4 says:
  

  The globalisation eats its children. :mrgreen:

• laila says:
  

  Since the word panic here results from a financial issue , and was used on CNN , which is a TV channel , where exaggeration in words usage is used widely to draw people’s attention to the news , I see nothing strange about using this term , in fact , it will be too ordinary to use expressions people are used to.

  With many thanks

• Guven Akat says:
  

  The expression of “Willful Panic” is totaly wrong. Panic is an reflex that people react involuntary. Panic is a reaction that is increasing by exponentially. The panic in the US markets difuse all the markets in the world like an epidemic disease. This increases the intensity of panic.

• Sadasivan N.(Prof.Dr.) says:
  

  Willful Panic? What an odd combo! Panic is involuntary, almost a reflex action, right? How can such panic be willful (which denotes obdurate, determined, headstrong etc)? Bourse panic might be a better expression I think. (In the UK you may call it the Footsey Panic Sell). Of course, in a sort of kneejerk reaction, such combos also surface from time to time in this mushrooming language, I am aware!! Normally they are short lived. Am waiting for your feedback, oh world!! Dr Sada, India

• Jay says:
  

  Most human panics, as we learn from past experiences, result from pure assumptions and invalid ” evidence”
  and, as a consequence, cause greater loss than it should.
  Another factor is the Internet, through which information are magnified and interpreted. As we Chinese have a saying: You reap what you sow. It’s time people stop and take into consideration just how good(bad?) the term “globaliztion” is. It’s time to ponder on the so-called
  Capitalism, too.