Fear

Fear shapes societies as much as hopes or dreams—often dictating behaviors, policies, and cultural norms across generations and geographies.

1. Mortality is humanity’s deepest fear

From the fear of creepy crawlies to losing employment, many anxieties boil down to one universal concern: death. Everyone fears some version of mortality, manifesting in varied forms depending on culture and personal experiences. Even basic phobias like fear of insects or reptiles trace back to a primal need to survive.

Economic struggle amplifies this fear. For instance, in the nineteenth century, poor individuals faced not only the prospect of death but also dehumanizing treatment after it. Lower-class bodies were dumped into unmarked mass graves or even stolen by bodysnatchers for medical experiments, leaving people deeply unsettled about their posthumous dignity.

This terror even led to preventable tragedies. Susan Starr, an elderly woman in 1871, reportedly died of shock when authorities threatened to terminate her financial aid, demonstrating how the existential fear of dying, compounded by societal conditions, can bring dire consequences.

Examples

• Modern fears about poisonous creatures like snakes showcase survival instincts linked to avoiding fatal threats.
• Victorian paupers feared grave robbers who sold their bodies posthumously for anatomy studies.
• Elderly Susan Starr succumbed to shock when confronted with the possibility of extreme poverty and homelessness.

2. Public spaces are designed fearfully

Crowds panicking often leads to disaster, resulting in architectural adaptations over time. Before modern regulations, public buildings like theaters lacked proper escape routes, turning emergencies into death traps.

One notorious example from 1883 involved children in England’s Victoria Hall dying in a stampede when a locked door became an impassable barrier. Similarly, the deadly Chicago Iroquois Theater fire of 1903 highlighted how panic amplifies human tragedy, with 600 lives lost due to inadequate exits.

Safety measures like wider aisles, fire-resistant materials, and bars replacing locked doors emerged from such stories. These adjustments weren’t just technical decisions—they arose because of repeated confrontations with humanity’s chaotic reactions to fear.

Examples

• In 1883, children perished in Victoria Hall due to a panicked stampede.
• Iroquois Theater lacked safety measures, leading to hundreds dying in 1903.
• Inventions like the push-bar door stemmed directly from panic-fueled mishaps.

3. Fearful children spark societal concerns

Historically, scared children were seen as a reflection of poor parenting. There was a widespread belief that fear in children marked moral failure or emotional fragility. Parenting guides from the mid-twentieth century encouraged "toughening up" kids by exposing them to their anxieties rather than coddling them.

Mothers bore the brunt of societal blame. If kids turned out shy or anxious, overly gentle mothering was pinpointed as the cause. Critics harshly judged women for either being too protective or spending insufficient time with their children. This placed immense pressure on mothers, who were deemed responsible for both nurturing bravery and avoiding perceived overindulgence.

The anxiety of parents shifted visibly during societal changes—like more women joining the workforce in the 1950s, sparking debates over how absence or hovering impacted children’s emotional growth.

Examples

• Parenting manuals advised against comforting scared kids too much.
• Psychologists such as Adelaide Chazan framed shy children as overly coddled.
• Working mothers in 1950s societal debates were accused of fostering fearful offspring.

4. Nightmares reflect personal fears, not external forces

Long ago, people blamed bad dreams on demons or sleeping habits. By the nineteenth century, fears tied to physical discomfort—such as full stomachs impacting blood flow—dominated explanations for nightmares.

However, Sigmund Freud radically changed this in the early twentieth century. He argued that dreams reflected inner conflicts, suppressed fears, and unmet desires, making them products of the subconscious rather than bodily effects. According to Freud, every vivid, scary nightmare served to expose emotions we suppress during waking hours.

This interpretation reshaped public views on fear, suggesting that examining our darkest dreams could help people better confront and untangle internal struggles.

Examples

• Earlier beliefs tied nightmares to physical discomfort, like poor circulation.
• Freud’s dream theory revealed fears stored in repressed emotions.
• Symbols in dreams, such as running or climbing stairs, translated to subconscious desires.

5. Social turmoil nurtures mass paranoia

Periods of societal instability exacerbate collective fear, leaving communities more prone to panic. History links economic hardship or political crises with a heightened sense of anxiety or mistrust among populations.

For instance, the economic strains of 1920s Great Britain sparked a rise in class tensions and revolutionary paranoia among the upper classes. A satirical BBC broadcast about imaginary mob violence added fuel to societal panic, demonstrating how fragile public calm becomes during uncertain times.

Modern parallels persist in responses to terrorism, where unattended bags in airports or public spaces trigger knee-jerk suspicion due to a public primed for fear.

Examples

• British upper classes in the 1920s feared revolt after labor strikes.
• A satirical BBC story provoked false panic over fictional working-class mobs.
• Today’s fear of unattended luggage illustrates ongoing paranoia during unrest.

6. Fear during war leaves lifelong effects

War zones bring out the rawest forms of fear. Even the most decorated soldiers admit to feeling extreme terror during combat. Fear causes physical problems—from insomnia to trembling limbs or bowel irregularities—that often persist long after battle.

Paradoxically, fear can also drive courage. Soldiers operating on adrenaline, like William Manchester sprinting unprotected toward a sniper during WWII, relied on intense fear to boost survival instincts. His physical reactions afterward revealed how overwhelming yet vital fear was for his actions.

Fear mentally and physically alters those in war, shaping veterans’ lives long after they leave the battlefield.

Examples

• WWII medical surveys found 90% of soldiers reported trauma-caused illnesses.
• William Manchester defied danger to neutralize a sniper thanks to adrenaline.
• Soldiers experienced lasting symptoms—tremors, digestion issues, and insomnia.

7. The nuclear threat haunted generations

Cold War years heightened fear for entire nations as nuclear weapons proliferated. The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 or casual missile drills in schools visualized terrifying war scenarios. Civilians feared annihilation, leading many to believe doomsday was inevitable.

Government actions, designed to prep for possible attacks, often worsened anxieties. Simulated air raids or grim instructions about “survival post-blast” alarmed rather than reassured citizens. These drills left teachers and students shaken, embedding a unique type of fear in post-WWII generations.

The looming threat of nuclear conflict made peace a paradoxical symbol of dread during the twentieth century.

Examples

• Cuban missiles placed ominously close to American shores in 1962 raised fears.
• Air-raid drills in schools fostered helplessness rather than preparedness.
• A 1983 UK survey showed public belief in imminent nuclear disaster.

8. Fear shifts with medical advances

In health, fear evolves with changing science. During the 1800s, contagious diseases like smallpox caused society’s greatest anxiety. Advances in medicine eradicated some infections, transferring public fear onto chronic conditions like cancer.

By the mid-1900s, cancer became a looming dread. Survivors like Edna Kaehele, diagnosed terminally in 1946, showcased the power of resilience as she challenged both disease and fear. Her recovery, despite dire odds, highlighted how fear influences healing.

Modern public health trends—mask-wearing post-pandemics, for example—show how quickly accepted norms around medical fears adapt with time.

Examples

• Nineteenth-century societies feared epidemics more than modern diseases.
• By 1954, cancer dominated illness-related fears in public opinion surveys.
• Survivors like Edna Kaehele defied both prognosis and panic through resilience.

9. Fear reforms societal designs

Above all, fear isn’t just a personal experience—it dictates wide-scale systems and behaviors. From urban planning to Emergency Protocols, all stemmed from communities reacting defensively out of shared fears. Public buildings today prioritize safety exits, while protocols like earthquake-prepped regions reflect adaptations born of urgency.

Fear has historically shaped solutions—motivated not just by loss-aversion but innovative problem-solving that humanity continually learns through accumulated experience.

Examples

• Modern panic-safe theater designs emerged post-tragedies in Victorian England.
• Earthquake-emphasized housing focuses on structural preparation.
• Emergency escape protocols around schools arose from fright over armed crises.

Takeaways

1. Treat fear as a signal: Analyze your fears to uncover deeper truths or needs driving them.
2. Build resilience: Instead of suppressing fears, find methods (such as journaling or discussion) to directly engage and defuse their power.
3. Advocate for safety preparedness: Whether in workplaces or communities, address potential risks by promoting cautious yet effective readiness plans.