Fear – a Crucial Emotion
Fear is an emotion that is caused by the feeling of danger, even if none exists. It is usually experienced when one is in a situation of uncertainty. Often when a child is in a place they are not familiar with, they experience fear, and they find refuge with their parent or guardian. Fear is also experience when one is indeed in danger. For example, when there is a burglary or a robbery, the “victims” will experience an even more extreme type of fear that is often referred to as terror. Terror is an elevated version of fear, so to speak. It often raises your heart rate, and makes one feel as if they are in mortal danger.
Fears are usually implanted in people during childhood. Often times revolving around a traumatic experience that took place at a young age. Fears also stem from what people are taught. For example, if a child is taught that spiders are dangerous and that they should be feared, there is a good chance that child will grow up and develop a form of arachnophobia, or even a fear of “bugs” in general. According to various surveys, the most common fears are those of ghost, and the existence of evil. Others range from heights, to water, and from cockroaches and even enclosed spaces.
Fear is a crucial emotion. Without it, you would not be able to tell when not to do something. For example, without fear, one would not know to run away from a bear. Because of this, said person would most likely be mauled by the bear. In some cases, fear is actually over-ridden. For example, if someone breaks into your house and threatens your family, you may try to neutralize them even though the intruder could be carrying a gun, or some other sort of weapon. Another example could be when your child comes into contact with a dangerous animal. Even though this animal could harm you, you still attempt to move or kill it to protect your child.
The part of the brain most associated with fear is the amygdala.