That annoying spark from a metal doorknob, static cling from the clothes dryer, and in it's most majestic form, the lightning bolt. Opposites attract, and positive and negative ions are no exception. Whether the ESD event is a tree struck by lightning or the discharge of a triboelectrically generated charge onto a single circuit board device, the net effect is much the same.
Damages can and often do occur.
It's all proportional. Given that the lowest static charge that a human can feel is 2,500 volts, damages from electrostatic discharge can occur to Class 1x technologies without the handler being physically aware that a static event ever took place. Static electricity cannot be eliminated, it can only be controlled. Unfortunately, unless proper packaging and handling procedures are used after the product is shipped, the potential risk for ESD damages remains. Recognizing that proper grounding and handling procedures are not always followed in the field, rigidized aluminum cases are used extensively by the electronics and telecommunications industry sectors to minimize this risk.