Why Do We Become Scared of Heights as We Get Older?

My father-in-law and some of his workers came over to remove a dead tree. They were way up in that tree, and I felt it. My palms were sweating.

Why were my palms sweating? Why was I so anxious? After all, I have been skydiving, bungee jumping, and have jumped off of every dare bridge and cliff in the Tri-state area. So, what changed?

Something has to have changed in the way I look at heights over the years, because I never even thought about the danger, and here, I found myself, the other day, super nervous for my father-in-law and his workers climbing up this 60-something-foot tree. I thought about all the terrible possibilities, and how just one misstep or mistake could change a lot of lives.

Everyone I asked this question to has given me the same answer in two different ways. They say, "You're a dad", or they say, "It just comes with age."

Maybe there is a third way to look at it. Teenagers and people in their 20's are just too naive to consider the consequences. They say that ignorance is bliss, right? After years of witnessing how badly people can be hurt in situations like this, and how it changes lives, I'd much rather NOT take any more physical risks.