The Definition Of Fear

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate August 2001

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Fear can be defined as the personal sensation of being in great danger, or that something terrible is going to happen. A fear can also be considered a phobia. A phobia is a fear which isn't justified by the presence of real danger or threat, or by any rational cause. It is also a systematic avoidance of a situation which lead to it. Phobia is a type of panic reaction caused by specific stimuli or situations. Six of every ten people who suffer from phobias (fear) are able to remember when the fear crisis occurred for the very first time; (statistic from www.epub.org.br). Fears lie dormant inside our brains waiting to be disturbed at any time. It is a natural form of human survival. People often associate danger with things and situations they cannot prevent or control, such as lightning or the attack of an animal, both of which happen suddenly and unexpectedly.

Some fears however, are enjoyable, and can affect a person in a positive, uplifting way.

Even though fears vary greatly in this diverse society, many people share common phobias.

Fear is a very strong emotion. It can cause a person to make great life-changing decisions in split seconds. This is commonly called the fight or flight reaction. An example could be a woman who is married to a domestically abusive man. One day she is beaten worse than ever, and her only child's life is also becoming more in danger with each argument. The son is also becoming bolder toward his father during the arguments, trying to protect his mother. On a sudden impulse the woman flees and takes her son with her to safety at her parents' house. There she takes pictures of her wounds, goes to the police, divorces the bastard and moves away...