Yuhaen - Week 10: The Power of Fear

The power of fear can not be understated. Fear dictates most decisions and motivations in our lives. From the food we eat to the number of AP classes we decide to take, fear drives us to make choices that feel safe, familiar, and socially acceptable. We avoid junk food out of fear of going unhealthy, just as we might overload our schedules with AP classes out of fear of falling behind peers. The point is that fear can be found behind most decisions in life. 


Fear is a basic survival mechanism that signals our bodies to respond to danger with a fight or flight response. It is essential for our safety. Fear is powerful because it can trigger biological changes in one’s body. When we react to stressful situations, hormones in our brains that control our thoughts and actions are released, leading to the narrow-mindedness that comes with fear-inducing situations. 


Fear has controlled entire societies for centuries. Take the Salem Witch Trials, for example. The fear of the Devil in this Puritan society drove them to kill fellow citizens without sufficient evidence. Courts accepted “spectral evidence,” as the state and church were one. This allowed a group of girls to dictate the lives of innocent men and women by claiming that they were possessed by the Devil. 


A more recent and telling example of fear’s power is McCarthyism. This was a case of ideological and political fears against citizens with Soviet ties. Joseph McCarthy perpetuated this fear by conducting investigations on members of the government and making lists of potential communists. Despite the obvious constitutional breaches of his actions, society went along with it to avoid suspicion. This was again, out of fear. 


Fear is a perpetual cycle that will exist within all societies and across many generations. I believe that some things will never change and fear is one of them. 





Comments

  1. Juliette Karkanen-MolaugJanuary 31, 2025 at 12:36 PM

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  2. Juliette Karkanen-MolaugJanuary 31, 2025 at 12:52 PM

    Hi Yuhaen! I agree with you that fear is such a driving force in our lives! I think it is easy to not realize how motivated people can be by just the fear of rejection or fear of failure. In part, like you said, we decide most things based on what we fear more than what we desire.

    I love how you connected fear to our current unit because it is definitely a central theme that recurs throughout history but is especially prevalent in the Salem Witch Trials. My favorite part is how you described fear as a “perpetual cycle” because people often think of fear as something to “get over” or “overcome” but, even if we can face our fears to some extent, fears are extremely difficult to overcome and still end up influencing our decisions as they exist almost as a core part of our identity. It is also helpful that you included an explanation of the biological changes in our body because, whether we realize it or not, those changes determine our behavior and reactions to most situations.

    I loved reading your blog this week, and it is fitting for wrapping up our The Crucible unit! Thank you for sharing, Yuhaen!

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  3. ForemanFebruary 5, 2025 at 1:32 PM

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    1. ForemanFebruary 5, 2025 at 1:45 PM

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  4. Ayush SharmaFebruary 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM

    Hello Yuhaendan! I really enjoyed your Blog and the topics that you elaborated on. I believe that fear is something that really causes a lot of our day to day actions to take place. Whether it is the amount of time we spend studying for a test due to the impact it can potentially have on our grade, to the avoidance behaviors that are on full display because of a certain fear of something. Most of the time, the fear that we have for something is completely irrelevant, and it is said that ninety percent of the problems human beings create are only in their mind, meaning that it is just a cause of overthinking and anxiety. Fear can also be used to gain a psychological advantage, as I know that military personnel use fear to gain intel with interrogating possible suspects. All in all, fear can be a huge factor into how individuals think and also be a strong reason why some things happen in the first place.

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  5. ForemanFebruary 5, 2025 at 7:34 PM

    - Rafael Montes Barrera

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