Fear is the sound of rushing blood and the smell of adrenaline. Fear is standing at the edge of a cliff and wondering what the fall feels like. Fear is asking “Can you keep a secret?” and waiting for the response. Fear is a text message at 2:47 am. Fear takes many forms, and it has innumerable manifestations. Fear also has many definitions; however, the most common ones do not do it justice. The medical definition of fear is the most widely accepted definition of fear. Medical professionals claim that fear is an emotional response of agitation or dread to a threat of danger, internal or external (“Fear”). This definition is rather constraining because it focuses only on the response that people have regarding fear and does not allow for much …show more content…
To psychologists, fear is a “simple feeling” that is “comprised of phobias and anxieties” (Roy). This definition oversimplifies fear because it explicitly calls fear “simple” and does not delve into the intensities the human mind faces when in fear (Roy). On top of this, the word “feeling” is used, not emotions (Roy). This is directly stated because feelings are “mental or psychological components and bodily reactions which are physical reactions” and the responses the human body has when in the state of fear (Roy). For example, if someone has a fear of haunted houses, they could have nightmares about them. This is a bodily reaction because the brain is relaying pictures and ideas to the mind (Roy). The psychological definition is narrow as well as vague. Because it focuses on the feelings someone has when afraid, it never mentions the emotional aspect that fear can have in the mind. The fear of something can cause an emotional response such as crying or screaming. For example, if someone is being raped, they could be crying because of the violation of their body or screaming for help and rescue. Fear can also leave emotional trauma so that whenever a situation regarding the fear comes up, it immediately elicits an emotional responses as a way to cope with the fear. The psychological definition of fear does not adequately address the emotional complexities of