The Logic of Fear

Fear is hardwired into our DNA and to a large extent has been very useful to us as a species. 10000 years ago we were at great risk of being eaten by other animals or killed by other human beings. The role of fear at that point was to ensure that you had some chance of surviving these dangers. Safety was to be found in avoiding dangerous situations as far as possible and the person who mixed that approach with the judicious application of risk would not only survive but thrive as would his descendants. In the context of the millions of years of evolution that have acted upon us, our modern society is simply a blip, but it’s a blip that has completely changed the game. Sadly, our genome is playing an old game with old equipment.

Why do we start with a mixture of irritation and fear when we hear raised voices on a train? Well, many centuries ago, loud voices, particularly aggressive ones, indicated attack was imminent. Our fear response was immediately triggered to tell us to, as my old Biology teacher put it, ‘sh*t or sprint’!! That old, hardwired, response is still intact and it causes us to overestimate the danger and react accordingly. The same happens when you receive an angry email or an email from a person whose name you really don’t want to see on the message! In the days where life was genuinely dangerous, you might be expelled from the safety of the tribe for angering or disagreeing with the powerful members of that tribe. Surviving on your own was very difficult and very unlikely to meet with success in the long term. Getting sacked, resigning or being made redundant all triggered the same response because, even though you may not like your work tribe, you know that the situation outside of the job is more concerning than the situation within it. After all, losing your income and your means of support, will be taken as a threat to your very existence by the primitive mind which still resides in the amygdala and is far quicker to react than the more modern, more rational mind.

So, how do we try to overcome these fears, deep seated as they are? In the immediate situation, it’s sometimes useful to take some deep breaths to try to calm yourself and allow you to access the more reflective part of your mind. That won’t always work but it’s worth a try. If you anticipate something happening, walk through the possibilities and decide in advance how you will deal with each one. Again, that won’t always work in the heat of the moment but it may encourage a different response to kick in. To be honest, my record of overcoming fears is patchy and I will probably never be as effective as I would like to be, but I can at least rationalise situations before, during and after with more success. I just know that it will always be a work in progress and I have accepted that.