To tell you the truth, I originally thought it couldn't happen to me, but that is just not the case.
I remember last month I took off in 200' OVC and 1/4 mile vis.
Now, I have a subscription to IFR magazine, and when we took off and headed unto that 5000' foot thick cloud layer toward the mountains at KUNV, thoughts started running into my head about all the articles I have read of people who have hit mountains and hills due to stupidity, and when I took off I was excited! But from the surface until my MEA, I kept thinking and thinking about those articles and I thought to myself, staring out into the landing light lit darkness... "If i see even see a stitch off trees, houses or terrain, I will be dead before I even can react... holy ****!"
It was then I realized my boundaries, knowing that I am a boyfriend, a brother, and a son, and I have too much to lose just to get up and out for MY convenience.... And all of a sudden those articles and crashes started making me think twice...
So, my answer to you is YES, they do make me think twice, but only because I had an event accompany me in my aviation experiences that made me think that way,
Let's face it, you would rather be down here wishing you were up there, then up there, wishing you were down here... There is NO truer statement in aviation then that... NONE