How Much Fear? Part 2

How Much Fear? Part 2

In the previous post, we talked about the physical and psychological parts of our fear response. Published in 1997, The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker gave us some additional ways of looking at fear. In addition to recommending this book to many clients, our organization also provides a copy to anyone who comes to work here. The subtitle of the book, survival signals that protect us from violence, points to its main emphasis - how do we identify what is truly dangerous and avoid harm?

Mr. de Becker talks about using our intuition to identify danger and to guide us towards safety. He helps us to gain a greater understanding of intuition by listing "the messengers of intuition." These are: nagging feelings; persistent thoughts; humor; wonder; anxiety; curiosity; hunches; gut feelings; doubt; hesitation; suspicion; apprehension; and fear. If you take some time to think about your experiences with these thoughts and feelings, you may be able to remember what they told you or what you should have learned from their presence.

de Becker’s book contains real life examples of dangerous situations that illustrate the points that he is making. He also describes ways of making predictions about dangerous behavior and situations.

After reading his book, I found myself thinking about dangerousness and fear differently. Instead of something to be avoided, fear has become another piece of information. Information that is essential in making important decisions.

Bill Bonacker