The Perception of Fear

2308 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Fear and its effects

Fear is created by your perspective of a situation, object or topic. You fear something based on the way you perceive it, evaluating whether it as a threat to you or not. Once a fear is born it continues to shape your perspective intensifying the fear and guaranteeing that it will remain. When these perspectives become distorted the fear that drives them has the potential to take control over a person’s life. As the fear grows clear observation is limited and obsessive behavior can occur. Once a person’s perspective is controlled by their fear their quality of life diminishes which contributes to pessimism and a lack of social connections. In the article Seeing by feeling: Virtues, Skills, and Moral Perceptions one of Aristotle’s famous quotes is used to associate perception with decision making. “When it comes to thinking about what to do, ultimately the decision rest with perception.” Fear is created by perspective.

Once a fear is born it may prevent a person from clear observation which can cause their perspective to become distorted. When you are not interpreting your surroundings accurately you will fear things that shouldn’t be feared or not to the extent perceived. In the movie 1984 gripping fear keeps Winston from observing the details of the underground room: But he hardly noticed his surroundings. All he noticed was that there were two small tables straight in front of him (Orwell 5). O’Brian controls what Winston is able to look at, giving him power to control the dynamics of the situation: He was strapped upright in a chair so tightly that he could move nothing not even his head (Orwell 7). Because of this position Winston cannot clearly observe his surroundings changing his perception by fear of the u...

... middle of paper ...

...sm." Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 8.4 (2005): 353-69. Web. 22 May 2011.

DeNoon, Daniel J. "Fear of Public Speaking Hardwired." Web MD. Print.

Elliott, T. S. Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. [S.l.]: Greville, 2008. Print.

Frost, Robert, and John Carrera. Acquainted with the Night. Madison, WI: Quercus, 1993. Print.

Lawrence, David H. Snake. Print.

Muscari, Mary E. "What Can I Do to Help Patients With Belonephobia." Medscape, 28 Apr. 2007. Web. 22 May 2011.

Orwell, George. 1984. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1984. Print.

Sjöberg, Lennart. "Emotions and Risk Perception." Risk Management 9.4 (2007): 223-37. Web. 22 May 2011.

Visschers, Vivianne HM, and Michael Siegrist. "Exploring the Triangular Relationship Between Trust, Affect, and Risk Perception: A Review of the Literature." Risk Management 10.3 (2008): 156-67. Web. 22 May 2011.

Show More
Related

  • The Dangers of Fear

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Dangers of Fear Irish Playwright, George Bernard Shaw, once said, “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity.” Inhumanity is mankind’s worst attribute. Every so often, ordinary humans are driven to the point where they have no choice but to think of themselves. One of the most famous examples used today is the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night demonstrates how fear is a debilitating force that causes people to lose sight of who they once were.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Fear In Victor Villaseñor's Burro Genius

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fear is a powerful emotion. Wikipedia.com describes fear as “an emotion induced by threat perceived by living entities, which causes a change in brain and organ function and ultimately change behavior, such as running away, hiding or freezing from traumatic events.”Most people tend to avoid fearful situations, not realizing that something positive may come out of the event or experience. Victor Villaseñor focuses on the topic of fear in his novel titled Burro Genius. Villaseñor demonstrates to readers how growing up he was extremely fearful of any situation. Victor also tells his readers how he turned his fear into motivation into motivation to keep going and reach his ultimate goal of becoming a published author.

    Read More

  • The Crucible Fear Analysis

    1710 Words  | 4 Pages

    In every society, throughout all of time fear is present. It is a an evolutionary instinct thought to have kept us alive, throughout the darkest moments in human history. However as time has progressed fear has had an unintended consequences on society, including the suffusion of incomprehension. During the Salem Witch Trials and Cold War a large sense of fear overcame these societies causing tragedy and misinformation to become commonplace. It is in these societies that it is clear that fear is needed to continue a trend of ignorance. Although bias is thought to be essential to injustice, fear is crucial to the perpetuation of ignorance because it blinds reason, suppresses the truth and creates injustice.

    Read More

  • Destruction Caused by Fear in Lord of the Flies and a Separate Peace

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fear is an everyday emotion that the human race must face, and it can bring out the best and worst of us, but its how we choose to deal with it that truly defines us.

    Read More

  • Fear Conditioning: A Case Study Essay

    608 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this case, Treena develops anxiety from an incident which normally would not elicit a fearful response. This process is called classical conditioning and occurs through paired association and the incident becomes a neutral stimulus. In this case, fear conditioning involves the pairing of a neutral stimulus with an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US). The neutral stimulus initially causes no emotional reaction, but after repeated pairings with the unconditioned stimulus, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus triggering the onset of unconditioned stimulus and inducing anxiety and panic (Lissek, Powers, McClure, Phelps, Wolderhawariat, Grillon, Pine, 2015). When symptoms of anxiety is paired with this kinds of uncued panic attacks,

    Read More

  • Fear and the Human Psyche

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    A simple definition of the human psyche is the embodiment of the human spirit. However, when one takes a more in-depth look, it becomes much more complex than the tidy little package that the definition would infer. The psyche has a direct link to thoughts, emotions, reactions and consequences. Of these components, emotions have the most significant impact on the human essence. The way in which humans view and react to the world around them is directly linked to the conscious and subconscious feelings associated with a particular activating event. The human psyche is driven by a wide variety of emotions ranging from love, hate, anger, happiness, fear, and courage to name but only a few. Of these, fear has the power to disrupt the body and spirit in profound ways as it encompasses all emotions. Therefore, it is the strongest emotion associated with the human condition.

    Read More

  • Biological And Environmental Factors In Defining Fear: The Importance Of Fear

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fear is a potent emotional response developed by the intrinsic need to learn in order for one to better their means of self-preservation. Though often overlooked, fear is a mental construct which presents great importance in understanding an individual’s thoughts and mannerisms. Children can help scientists to better recognize how these fears emerge. The early years of life can be considered the most daunting; everything in the environment surrounding a child is fairly new, strange, and unfamiliar. In the psychological community, it is widely accepted that fears are determined from two main constituents: biological and environmental factors. Both factors play an essential role in defining fear as well as the determination of what a child may

    Read More

  • Fear in Macbeth

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fear motivates many people to act upon matters, right or wrong. This emotion has been important in many events in both works of literature, and in the real world. It has forced military geniuses into retreat, and influenced them to plan another method of attack. Fear can be both a positive and a negative acting force in one’s life, a quality that can motivate one to success as well as to downfall.

    Read More

  • The Influence Of Fear In 'Antojo' By Julia Alvarez

    938 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fear influences people to make irrational decisions and take extreme measures. Often times, these actions are done to protect one’s reputation. Fear causes people to lie and manipulate to those they care about in order to escape what they are scared of most. Fear of failure has caused higher levels of anxiety, and has made society put blame on each other, rather than owning up to their mistakes. Fear can also cause one to forget one’s true identity and lose one’s values. There are two options that one can take when being faced with a fear: run away from the fear, or go through it and learn a valuable lesson in the end that will make you a stronger person. Fear is a harmful emotion that everyone has to go through in order to succeed.

    Read More

  • Fear In The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

    539 Words  | 2 Pages

    “When you say 'fear of the unknown', that is the definition of fear; fear is the unknown, fear is what you do not know, and it's genetically within us so that we feel safe. We feel scared of the woods because we're not familiar with it, and that keeps you safe.” – M. Night Shyamalan

    Read More

  • Harmfulness Of Fear Essay

    1535 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the words of Bertrand Russell, “Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom” (Russell). Fear causes many problems in our lives. Fear influences many of a person’s actions and decisions. However, people usually regret the decisions or actions they made out of fear. Also, these actions and decisions can cause problems for those people in their future. Fear is a harmful emotion, for it clouds people’s judgement, disables them from taking action, and causes them to make decisions that they will regret later.

    Read More

  • Fear Causes And Behavior In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fear can be caused by many different things and can be a result of different situations. “Fear is a primary emotion. It is an evolved and adaptive physiological response that occurs automatically in response to particular

    Read More

  • Archetypes In Grendel

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fear has controlled the world and shaped humans into what they are now. New technologies have been created, because of the fear humans have. Over time new fears have evolved, and illnesses occurred due to anxiety and depression from these fears. The terror that runs through each individual is different. Without fear there would be no evolution or protection.

    Read More

  • The Face of Fear

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop and look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, '...I can take the next thing that comes along.'...You must do the thing you think you cannot do (Eleanor Roosevelt)." Every time I read these words, I am able to see the truth in them. College to me is the next step that I must take in life. Although this next step comes with much trepidation and apprehension, it is a necessary step that I must take to forever better and prepare myself for the life that I wish to lead. State University would be one of the best institutions for this, just as the choice of high school I made four years ago, Good Counsel, was the next step for me then. During high school, I have grown and changed through not only the education I have gained, but also through the activities I participated in. I have gained a lot of strengths from my time spent in high school. Although every weakness has not been erased, the next step in life will ease their numbers even more.

    Read More

  • Thesis Of The Concept Of Fears: The Conception Of Phobias

    793 Words  | 2 Pages

    This paper is focused on how fear as a subject is being perceived by many as a dominant and primitive human emotion. An uncontrollable energy that’s exists and created within every individual, which is directed towards an object or a given situation that does not present an actual danger. The individual then analyzes that the fear is contradictory and thus cannot help the reaction. Gradually, the phobia aims to build up and aggravate as the fear of fear response takes hold. Eventually they distinguish their fear responses as negative, and go out of their way to avoid those reactions. ‘Fear is derived as a basic feeling and therefore created by us – it is not something we have, but something we do. The principle of fear is to keep us safe.’

    Read More

More about The Perception of Fear

Open Document