The Psychology of Fear

To this day, there is no clear distinction between concepts such as fear, fright, anxiety, and panic. Similarly, science does not know which comes first—the emotion of fear or the feeling of fear. However, the essence remains unchanged, as fear is one of the most important and basic emotions, and it continues to be a mystery for people. Why are some people brave while others are anxious? Why are people afraid of public speaking? Do fearless people exist? In this article, we will try to answer these and other questions.

What Is Fear?

What happens to our bodies when we experience fear? What is the purpose of fear, and what positive qualities does this frightening word carry?

In general scientific terms, fear is understood as an emotional state reflecting a protective biological reaction in humans or animals when faced with real or imagined threats to their health or well-being. Sometimes, the expression of fear is so obvious that it needs no explanation—such as terror, confusion, or fleeing.

There are three main behavioral responses to fear, often called “freeze,” “fight,” or “flight.” This reaction is individual for each person. If the attempt to escape fails, the body switches to the “fight” response—an instinct for self-preservation embedded by nature.

When we are afraid, our thinking becomes narrowly focused. We concentrate on the object of our fear, often underestimating what is happening around us, which prevents us from seeing the situation from another perspective. It’s important to note that people with different levels of courage experience fear physiologically in different ways. For example, timid people may experience a decrease in heart rate.

Causes of Fear

Fear can be triggered by both internal and external stimuli. Internal causes include drives, needs, and cognitive processes (such as negative memories and fear of repeating past events). External causes include surrounding circumstances—for example, fear of thieves or ghosts may be an interpretation of a fear of the dark. Some fears are linked to the anticipation of potential pain, such as before a visit to the dentist or surgeon (note that the person has not yet experienced the pain itself).

Certain fears are ingrained in us by evolution. For instance, some people have never seen a live crocodile or snake, but still feel fear when these animals lunge toward people at the zoo.

The Functions of Fear

Fear can both kill and save a person. It often paralyzes the will—the ability to resist circumstances. Centuries ago, many people died in shipwrecks because fear convinced them they were doomed.

However, fear also plays a constructive role in human life. It mobilizes all the body’s resources in critical situations. There are many examples of people performing incredible feats under the influence of fear. There are reports of frail women lifting multi-ton vehicles to save their children after car accidents, among other cases. This proves that the human body has a tremendous reserve of strength, kept in reserve for special occasions.

Such reactions are possible due to the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream, which increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, resulting in a significant boost in energy. The heart works harder, pumping more blood, breathing becomes shallow, the face turns pale, eyes open wide, and pupils dilate (hence the saying “fear has big eyes”).

At the same time, and along with the activation of focused thinking, a person experiencing fear remembers all the unpleasant and dangerous events around them. When there is not enough information to assess a threat, fear dictates a behavioral model based on biological protection. At this moment, it is important for the body to react to a wider range of stimuli to avoid missing a crucial signal that could save its life.

Are There Fearless People?

Watching movies, it sometimes seems that the hero is completely unfamiliar with the feeling of fear. Suggestible individuals often try to imitate such heroes. In reality, this behavior is an illusion. Everyone experiences fear. The answer to why different people act differently in the same situations is simple: a person with strong willpower can suppress the development of fear and channel it toward achieving a goal. Those who cannot suppress their protective reactions and who prioritize self-preservation are often called cowards. However, cowardice should not be confused with simply having fear.

Instilled Fears

The source of instilled fears is often our parents and those who surrounded us in infancy. They “infect” us with their own fears—”don’t do that, or it might not work,” “don’t go there—you’ll fall,” and so on. In reality, a child only remembers the last word spoken. They may not understand what adults are saying, but they clearly recognize the signal of anxiety, which is characterized by a certain tone of voice and facial expression.

Instilled fears can also arise from overly anxious parents. Conversations about death, misfortune, illness, fires, and murders, even if not directed at the child, remain in their psyche.

Social Fears

In modern society, the sources of social fears, phobias, and panics are not only human relationships but also inanimate phenomena, environmental and industrial risks, dangers, and disasters that can cause direct and significant harm to society as a whole and to individuals in particular. During economic crises, people fear losing their jobs, and entrepreneurs risk losing profits.

Many pharmaceutical companies exploit social fears for their own benefit. Advertising campaigns highlighting the dangers of seasonal viruses lead people with hypochondriac tendencies to buy enough medication to double company profits.

Forms of Fear

Fear can manifest in various forms—apprehension, fright, shyness, anxiety, concern, insecurity, confusion, terror, and panic. Let’s look at them more closely:

• Apprehension is a form of fear directed at a real object of danger, while anxiety is characterized by internal unease for unknown reasons.
• Shyness is a form of fear of the unknown, untested, or unfamiliar. It can be situational but is often generalized.
• Fright is a physical reflex (such as flinching) in response to a strong stimulus (for example, someone being startled by an unexpected gunshot).
• Terror is a type of affective state, expressed as intense fear accompanied by depression, numbness, or sometimes trembling.

In moments of danger, a person focused on eliminating the threat may not feel fear. This often happens in car accidents—when there is an opportunity to help, people often do not feel fear; if not, they experience terror.

During World War II, soldiers often attacked in groups, which lessened the feeling of fear because everyone thought others were afraid too, helping them ignore their own fear. In such situations, realizing that others are also afraid helped reduce the feeling of fear and united people.

What Are People Afraid Of?

A phobia is a pronounced, obsessive fear that, when triggered by the object of fear, turns into terror. Unlike ordinary fear, phobias are irrational. In other words, a person creates an illusion that they themselves are afraid of. Typically, a phobia is a fear of something harmless, but it is greatly exaggerated. A phobia takes over a person’s thinking and prevents them from rationally assessing the object.

Research shows that people’s greatest fears are for their own lives, health, and the lives of loved ones, fear of war, pain, incurable diseases, losing a job, and fear for the future.

When fear takes control of a person, it becomes a phobia that should be treated. However, many people are aware of their phobias but cannot do anything about them. Without self-confidence, a person cannot effectively fight for their interests. They develop a defeatist mindset, expect failure, and often experience setbacks, further convincing themselves of their inability to act. This increases the need for sedatives to dull emotional pain. In these conditions, a pessimistic attitude develops, making every random or unpleasant event seem like a fatal sign of danger. The person becomes unable to take risks, try new things, or face uncertainty and doubt—in other words, they lose the ability to innovate and create.

There are also phobias such as fear of failure, when a person is afraid to start something new, explore, create, or make big decisions. In such cases, it is important to accept that we cannot be successful at everything. We should accept this and move on. Many people see failure not as a fiasco, but as an opportunity to learn something new (the trial and error method). The main thing is to develop a good plan, as it is impossible to foresee all risks. If it were possible, life would lose much of its interest for many people.

Nothing is impossible for those who have passion and perseverance for their craft. These qualities distance fear, make us forget about it, and leave no time for it. If fear does arise, the most reliable way to deal with it is to assess it rationally. It is important not to give in to emotions.

Fear in Profiling

In profiling, fear plays a key role. The emotion of fear can cause guilty individuals to reveal themselves in the context of events they are involved in. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Innocent people also experience fear during investigations, fearing that the expert might make a mistake about them. It is extremely important to distinguish between the fear of a guilty person and that of an innocent one. For this, the full range of profiling tools is at your disposal.