Understanding The Mental And Physical Side Of Fear
Fear hovers above us everywhere we go. It follows us and plays games with our mind like a shadow. It makes us feel vulnerable and uneasy, as if we’re 10 feet under water, weights to our ankles. The mental side and physical side of fear, and why things are frightening, are questions we all have. The Most Dangerous Game and The Complexity of Fear, are both great examples of what experiencing fear is like and the emotions that run through every inch of our fragile bodys.
“I rather think they understand one thing- fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death. ” This is a quote said in the fictional story, The Most Dangerous Game. The story tells the relationship between hunters and the hunted. Rainsford is a hunter who does not feel pity towards the animals he kills. It is when he takes the of position of being the hunted, he realizes how truly terrifying it can be. Fear ran through him like a knife and his brain could not rest for even a second. The thought of being hunted in a sick game for a man who he once considered his equal, made him feel sick to his stomach. Zaroff, the initiator of the game, threatened Rainsford’s safety and security. He felt powerless and trapped in something out of his own will. We experience fear more often than we would like to think.
Fear can take toll on our judgements and choices, as shown in the article, The Complexity of Fear. We put up defense mechanisms and freeze at the sight of things we fear the most. People experience multiple emotions and feel anxiety when confronting something that scares them, and is out of their comfort zone. They feel distressed and alarmed when someone or something invades their personal space, and sometimes our memories, and prior experiences can be triggered. We act out on our fears and our body moves with a mind of its own. People are scared of what they know little about; what lurks in the dark and the things we can’t see. Humans were made to fear; to move away from caution. That is how we have survived for thousands of years.
“Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. ” This is the definition of fear, as stated in the dictionary. The word belief, stands out to me the most. We believe someone or something is dangerous, so in reality, does fear really exist? We all have experienced vulnerableness and the feeling of being powerless; almost caged. We always wonder what will happen next and we sit quietly, anticipating the future. Some may call it insanity. Fear is mischievous and it will continue to be, until the day we all perish into a thin line of dust.
