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Belisaurius555 t1_iy4drzr wrote

First off, we were born into it. Honestly, if we didn't have about 14 pounds per square inch pressing down on us we'd suffer and possibly die. That pressure keeps our blood from boiling and oxygen from leeching out of our lungs. Our bodies exert about that much pressure on the air around us and that keeps things balanced.

Second, air pressure hits us from all directions equally. Yes, the air is pushing you down but the air underneath you is pushing you up. You're being pushing forwards, back, left, and right all in about equal measure so the net effect is just a gentle squeeze rather than a crushing force.

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jensjoy t1_iy4idhc wrote

>but the air underneath you is pushing you up

Not how it works. Pressure comes from the top.
Think when you're diving. The deeper you go the higher the pressure, regardless of how much water is beneath you.

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Belisaurius555 t1_iy4tugo wrote

Not what I was saying and not accurate. Change the direction of a barometer and the reading will stay the same. Pressure might increase with depth but the pressure hits you from all directions at once.

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Moskau50 t1_iy4pjqa wrote

Pressure is caused by the column height of fluid, but the force that the pressure exerts is omnidirectional (technically, normal to every surface, but assuming a closed, real shape, that becomes omnidirectional). At any given depth, there's no net force of pressure upwards or downwards; assuming a short object, the bottom of the object experiences the same pressure as the top, which means the net force acting on each side is equal.

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