There is a deep gap between our thinking about statistics and our thinking about individual cases. — Daniel Kahneman

disbelief is not an option. The results are not made up, nor are they statistical flukes. You have no choice but to accept that the major conclusions of these studies are true.

There is no evidence that risk takers in the economic domain have an unusual appetite for gambles on high stakes; they are merely less aware of risks than more timid people are.

He's taking an inside view. He should forget about his own case and look for what happened in other cases.