First off, the question we want the answers to is, What is fear and why does it affect us? To answer that question you need to get …show more content…
a better understanding of fear.
Fear comes from when you are not sure of what is going to happen next. That is when your brain sends a signal through your nervous system, letting your body know that you are afraid. When you are placed into a fearful situation, it is best to understand why you are scared so that you can weigh out your options on what to do. Once you have your options sorted then you act appropriately to overcome the fear thus moving on with life.
In addition, understanding fear is only the beginning. Knowing how to handle your actions comes next. There are several different ways to use your authority the right way when placed in a fearful situation. The first thing to do would be to look at the pros and cons of the situation. For example, in the novel Hatchet, Brian saw his pilot have a heart attack and die right in front of him. Not only that, but he also survived a deadly plane crash. Now Brian is stranded in the middle of nowhere surrounded by woods. At this moment in time, brian is the authority, he has to use his powers in order to survive the situation that he is in. We know that fear is racing through his body because he is
young adolescent who is stranded in the woods with no food or water. Rather than wasting his energy trying to scream at the top of his lounges for help, he steps back and looks at the pros and cons of his scenario. Brian took in the fact that he was lost in the woods and made the best of it. He realized that he was in control and that he needed to survive. For example, Brain was looking for food to eat when he came across a bear. Rather than screaming, he stared at the bear in such a way to let the bear know that he was no threat and the bear moved on. If things would of went differently, say Brian starting screaming, the bear could have mauled and killed him because it felt threatened. This is also a great example of overcoming your fears as well. It is not everyday that we come in contact with wildlife animals, so to come into close range of bear is a pretty scary situation. Brian took the correct steps to overcome the fear of the bear by realizing he was in charge and taking control of the situation to help protect his safety. Hatchet shows us that fear is a state of mind that we can control. When we are in a place that seems scary, we need to really sit back for a second and observe to find out the best path to take.
In contrast, fear can also cause us to do things that are completely out of our character. It is much easier to misuse our authority when we are scared. When most people are scared they do not think about what to do at that moment because they are to focused on what could happen in that near future. For example,in the reading from Farewell to Manzanar the japanese government used the fear tactic to get many japanese to leave their homes and live in camps. Many of these camps were torture camps for those who was accused of aiding the enemy.The government knew that they could scare these people into going to the camps because they were the higher power in the situation. They used their powers in the wrong way. Instead of helping their people they were punishing them.