At first glance, the fear is of little pleasant for any person – it brings him grief, binds activity and may even cause psychosomatic illness. But on the other hand, some people like this feeling, crave for it and even enjoy it. So, let us consider the benefits that the body can initially receive from the reaction of fear, and see in what cases the fear is useful for humans and in what way it is harmful.
A negative value of fear appears much wider than the positive. According to psychologists, fear refers to basic human emotions, it is common to all healthy people and equally manifested in the most diverse cultures living on different continents. The emotion of fear can be caused by different objects and situations, but one of the most general one is a fear of death. It is totally natural to be afraid of some kind of an animal, of an accident or of being robbed till a person becomes obsessed with fear and cannot normally live and function in the society. The constant anxieties can do harm not only to the person’s health but also to his social life.
Fear can keep a person in constant tension, generate self-doubt and does not allow the person to realize himself. It constrains human activity, and in severe cases, literally may paralyze him. The constant thinking of a situation a person is afraid of, in the contrast, can attract it. Remember how some people are bitten by a dog more often than others, some women are more likely to become the object of sexual violence, some men - victims of hooligan attacks, robberies or theft. Psychologists have found that people afraid of criminals, as it gives them the non-verbal signals, indicating fear. And it is immediately read by those, who prepare for an attack and choose the victims that suite more for this role. From my own experience I can tell about a friend, who is afraid of the dogs since her childhood. Once, when she was three or four years old, she was sitting in a baby carriage holding a stick. A neighbor’s shepherd dog, thinking that a girl was playing with it, ran to the carriage and snatched the stick out of her hands. From that very day she trembles when the dog emerges next to her and tries to walk away as quickly as possible. The animals feel the fear, understand their superiority, bark and fling on her. So, the fear can be easily spotted and used by the aggressor in his favor.
In spite of this, there are a lot of people, who like to be frightened and consciously find the ways to provoke this feeling. Some of them choose extreme sports such as mountain biking, bungee jumping, diving or alpinism; the others just sit in a comfortable chair, turn the lights off and watch a horror movie. The last one is considered to be a cheaper and less harmful way to get scared. But why do people deliberately agree on it? Steven King, the king of horror stories, in his essay Why We Crave Horror Movies gives a simple answer on this question. He states that fear, as a basic emotion, “demands periodic exercise”. (King, 462) It means that the fear as well as love, friendship, loyalty and kindness are present in a body of any person and are needed to be released from time to time. And, of course, it is better to live through the fear in the artificially created atmosphere than in a real life. King say that the horror film “deliberately appeals to all that is worse in us”, it frees all our terrible fantasies and instincts. (King, 463) It has the effect of catharsis – purification of emotion that was mentioned by Aristotle for the first time.
Therefore, it seems to be right to talk about positive aspects of fear. First of all, the fear mobilizes manpower for vigorous activity that is often needed in critical situations. This is due to the release of adrenaline into the blood, which leads to a better supply of the muscles with oxygen and nutrients. Blanching of the skin and chill in the stomach are side effects. It happens because the blood, which is needed by muscles in the moment of danger, bounces off the skin and stomach.
Secondly, the fear contributes to a better memorization of dangerous or unpleasant events. And it is good, when this experience is essential for life, as helps to respond to the similar life situations. Long-term preservation in the memory of events that once were caused by the fear can ease the life of a man.
The third important meaning of fear is the ability to act in the conditions of a lack of information when it is not enough to make a decision. For example while taking an exam, talking about the work, getting acquainted with the girl, and so on. And here the strategy of behavior is dictated by fear. In people with a strong type of nervous system an excessive response mobilizes the powers, abilities and reflexes that are necessary for his defense.
Work Cited
King, Stephen. “Why We Crave Horror Movies”. Models For Writers. Ed. Rosa, Alfred Rosa and Paul Eschholz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. Print.
