Cold Water - The Barrier to Entry

Today while I was resting along the wall following my workout, a man of about 35 years, two lanes away, had just jumped in. He looked over at me and exclaimed how cold it was. I figure the water temp was somewhere between 80 and 82 degrees F. I told him I thought it was perfect and that he just needed to get moving. Was I being sanctimonious? I don't think so. I perceived a good chill when I touched my toe to the water before I entered. When I had gotten in, I had put my experience to work and jumped, feet first (can't dive in the pool ... someone says I might hurt myself - yeah, right!), angling my head forward so the water slapped my chest. It forces me to ignore the chill that might envelope my body upon entry and instead forces me to focus on the slight sting from the slap of the water. Still, I suppose, I had to learn that over time. People who don't swim routinely don't know these sorts of tricks. So I'm wondering, how many people don't use the pool for their exercise routine simply because they don't know that the water temp will be just fine once they establish a sense of understanding and give it a minute? How does one explain this? Kids just jump in - cold water or not - and they end up staying there? Why are adults such weenies?