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Definition of fear essay

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Running head: FEAR
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Fear Definition Essay
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Fear Definition Essay
Fear is an emotion that many people experience, but cannot give a precise definition of
the feeling. Fear is associated with the unpleasant sense of nervousness, uncontrollable body
responses, and the being scared of certain things. Interestingly, the feeling is very intense, but
many people have few words describing it. At some point in life, one experiences instance in
which they encounter the feeling, and in most cases, the event is unforgettable. Fear is a human
weakness that prevents them from facing problems that they can handle and instead run away
from them as is seen through examining its classification, causes, and effects.
Events that instill fear in different individuals vary. The most common way in which
people explain their experiences indicate that fear is a feeling that arises from various causes and
nature (Rofé & Rofé, 2015). An example is whereby students may experience the feeling
because they may be afraid of failing an exam whereas they have studied hard. A different
scenario is when a person is afraid of losing a loved one due to a relationship breakup. The two
incidences indicate that fear is of different nature and has various causes and that it is associated
with individuals running away from dilemmas.
There are several reasons as to why different people experience fear. It is because there
are those that will experience it due to personal experiences or from the things that they learn
from their surroundings ("What is fear? Information on the causes of fear and help for
overcoming fear.”, 2017). However, examination of the causes of fear indicates that it is caused
by a frightening stimulus. It further suggests that people experience the same type of fear since
the incitement of intimidation is the primary cause. A child may learn that adults fear going out
in the dark. Such a child will grow up understanding that it is not advisable to go out in the dark
hence fearing such areas. Another individual may fear driving at high speed due to a previous
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accident that instilled fear in them. The two cases indicate fear is caused by experience and
learning from the surrounding. There are several other causes of fear, and they are unique to
different individuals ("What is fear? Information on the causes of fear and help for overcoming
fear.", 2017). The stimulus that creates the feeling makes the individuals run away from the
situations that they are facing even though they are capable of tackling them.
Everyone experiences fear and there are those that run when faced with threatening
situations while others become paralyzed. An example is when an individual decides to take a
shortcut through a dangerous alley and hears screams from the direction he/she is walking. The
person will either run away or get paralyzed at that spot trying to imagine the events leading to
the screams. The feeling gets into the minds of people and makes them think differently as
opposed to being in a relaxed situation. The ideas that it creates in people’s minds encourage
them to run away from things, and this has an adverse effect since it makes them miss valuable
prospects. However, there are those situations that fear is reasonable. An example is when the
person passing through the dangerous alley runs after hearing the screams and saves him/herself
from a life-threatening situation. The brain will process the feeling of fear in a way that may be
unique to people hence creating different effects (Rofé & Rofé, 2015). However, most
individuals will find themselves missing opportunities because of running away from situations
instead of facing them.
In conclusion, examining the classification, causes, and effects of fear helps us in
defining it as a human weakness that prevents them from facing problems that they can handle
and instead run away from them. The feeling is due to different causes and nature. Its causes are
vast, but the most common ones are due to a person’s experience or learning from their
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surroundings. Fear creates ideas in people’s minds and makes them run away from situations.
The issues affect people in that they miss significant opportunities.
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References
Rofé, Y., & Rofé, Y. (2015). Fear and Phobia: A Critical Review and the Rational-Choice
Theory of Neurosis. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 7(2).
http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijps.v7n2p37
What is fear? Information on the causes of fear and help for overcoming fear.. (2017).
NativeRemedies. Retrieved 11 November 2017, from
http://www.nativeremedies.com/ailment/overcoming-fears-info.html
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