✈️ Miles' Travels – Episode 4: The Missing Room
Upon arriving at the hotel, the receptionist announced a problem: one room was missingThe entire group stood in suspense, trying to figure out who would share. As soon as Miles heard those words, he felt a chill in his stomach. "What if it's me?" he thought. Within seconds, his head transformed into a frantic calculator, plotting possible scenarios:
- Option 1: Miles + the passport obsessive → Insomnia guaranteed by endless rituals, but everything under control. Space divided down to the last millimeter, passport checks at night, and long discussions about the exact location of the suitcase.
- Option 2: Miles + the nomadic hypochondriac → Chronic stress and a world record for alcohol gel consumption. Every move is under surveillance: wipes, disinfection of surfaces, and the possibility of having to sleep with a mask.
- Option 3: Miles + the radical minimalist → A feeling of forced retreat in an unheated monastery. Conversations about detachment, shampoo considered an unnecessary luxury, and an air of involuntary spiritual retreat.
- Option 4: Miles + the tourist-controller → Sleeping inside an Excel spreadsheet. Lights out at 11:07 p.m., alarm at 6:43 a.m., and breakfast scheduled with military precision.
Each calculation made him more confused. His mind raced: “Do I need an escape plan? A bathroom schedule? A nighttime silence contract?” His body had already navigated every possible discomfort, as if it were real. And in the midst of that turmoil, the coordinator announced that the shared room wouldn't be Miles's. Immediate relief. But it was too late: his head had lived through every scenario as if it had actually happened.
🌪️ Anticipated catastrophism
What Miles experienced in that lobby is a perfect example of anticipated catastrophism: the tendency to imagine the worst-case scenario as if it were inevitable. This mechanism once helped us anticipate real dangers, but today it becomes a trap: confusing imagination with realityPsychology explains it as a cognitive distortion that fuels anxiety, drains energy, and robs us of emotional vitality. The lesson is clear: the more we let our minds run wild, the more we suffer from hypotheticals. And the more we return to the present, the more we discover that no catastrophe is occurring at this moment.
"If the problem doesn't exist yet, why bother with it? And if it's already happened, why bother with it again?"
English version
✈️The Journeys of Miles – Episode 4: The Missing Room
At the hotel, the receptionist announced a problem: a room was missing. The whole group froze, trying to work out who would share. The moment I heard those words, Miles felt a chill in his stomach. “What if it's me?” I thought. In seconds, his head turned into a French calculator, sketching out possible scenarios:
- Option 1: Miles + the passport obsessive → Insomnia guaranteed by endless rituals, but everything under control. Space divided to the millimeter, midnight passport checks, and long debates about the suitcase's exact position.
- Option 2: Miles + the nomadic hypochondriac → Chronic stress and a world record in hand-sanitizer consumption. Every move under scrutiny: wipes, surface disinfecting, and the chance of sleeping in a face mask.
- Option 3: Miles + the radical minimalist → The vibe of a silent retreat in an unheated monastery. Conversations about detachment, shampoo classified as unnecessary luxury, and an air of involuntary asceticism.
- Option 4: Miles + the controller–tourist → Sleeping inside a spreadsheet. Lights out at 11:07 pm, alarm at 6:43, breakfast scheduled with military precision.
Each calculation tangled him further. His mind ran: "Do I need an escape plan? A bathroom timetable? A nocturnal silence contract?" His body had already endured every possible discomfort—as if they'd really happened. And in the middle of that whirlwind, the coordinator announced the shared room wouldn't be Miles's. Instant relief. But it was too late: his head had lived through every scenario as if it were real.
🌪️ Anticipatory Catastrophizing
What Miles experienced in that lobby is a textbook case of anticipatory catastrophizing: the tendency to imagine the worst scenario as if it were inevitable. Once upon a time this helped us anticipate real dangers, but today it morphs into a trap: confusing imagination with reality. Psychology frames it as a cognitive distortion that fuels anxiety, drains energy, and steals emotional vitality. The lesson is clear: the more we let the mind run unchecked, the more we suffer over hypotheses. And the more we return to the present, the more we discover that—right now—no catastrophe is actually happening.
"If the problem doesn't exist yet, why carry it? And if it already passed, why carry it again?"
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