Fear

Notes

Fear is one of our deepest emotions. It is rooted within us to feel fear in moments of danger, when our life is on the line. It stems from our Amygdala, which is like a highway of feelings directly to our mind and body. Imagine having to question and decide whether to run from a lion, or having the instinct to do so the moment you see eyes in the darkness. Which person is more likely to survive? This is the essence of fear, a desire for self preservation in moments when we don't have the luxury to make a calculated decision, and we need to act fast.

What we fear has changed with the time, from more biological dangers to social ones, and although the level of threat is different, we treat it the same. Meaning that in today's age most of the things we fear are not as dangerous to our well-being as the biological dangers of the past, and might even be an opportunity for growth, but we don't treat it as such. It still feels just as real and just as dangerous.

Fear can cause us to act in many different ways. Fear can make us feel Helplessness if we are unable to do something about it, if it takes control over us. Over time this can also lead to Depression. Alternatively, fear can turn into anger Anger. Instead of facing the fear we do everything to destroy it's source. Fear can also cause us to detach from the present, to experience Escapism, in cases where we simply want to avoid it.

Either way, experiencing fear is stressful. When we feel threatened, we shut off our Rational System and focus on the immediate danger we face. The "funny" thing is that like stress, the fear doesn't have to stem from an actual present danger. Just the thought of a possible scenario, no matter how unlikely, can cause us to be afraid. There is something about Uncertainty that triggers our deepest fears.

Visual

Overview

🔼Topic:: Emotions (MOC) ↩️Origin:: 🔗Link::