I run.
I run a lot. And not just physically, but mentally and socially as well. I've never been afraid of a fight, but I'm more apt to avoid awkward social situations and when I have to face huge, life-changing decisions, I busy myself with books to read, movies to see and just about anything else. Knowing this, it might be more accurate to say I'm a flighter.
The term 'Fight or Flight' comes from Walter Bradford Cannon, a doctor in early 1900's America, after he noticed that animals either fought or fled from threats. Later, as science and knowledge of the body evolved, the idea of adrenaline (see YouTube) and the less exciting, but still valid responses and ideas were added to the umbrella term of 'Fight or Flight.'
We've all experienced this "phenomenon" in one form or another. And a part of me knows that running from my problems isn't going to solve anything - or maybe even worsen them. I know I should sit down and think about the tough choices or not shy away from party invites. And I am willing to fight tooth and nail for some things, but I've always loved flying.
I run a lot. And not just physically, but mentally and socially as well. I've never been afraid of a fight, but I'm more apt to avoid awkward social situations and when I have to face huge, life-changing decisions, I busy myself with books to read, movies to see and just about anything else. Knowing this, it might be more accurate to say I'm a flighter.
The term 'Fight or Flight' comes from Walter Bradford Cannon, a doctor in early 1900's America, after he noticed that animals either fought or fled from threats. Later, as science and knowledge of the body evolved, the idea of adrenaline (see YouTube) and the less exciting, but still valid responses and ideas were added to the umbrella term of 'Fight or Flight.'
We've all experienced this "phenomenon" in one form or another. And a part of me knows that running from my problems isn't going to solve anything - or maybe even worsen them. I know I should sit down and think about the tough choices or not shy away from party invites. And I am willing to fight tooth and nail for some things, but I've always loved flying.
I actually just watched 20/20 last night and it was about the typical personality behind "heros" or people that fight the fight or save who needs to be saved. They said it is usually linked to confidence. It made so much sense when they said it. If you a confident person, you are more apt to fight or help others because you think you can do it because you are confident. I have only saved my own life once. I was attacked on a dark road in Honduras and a guy jumped me - didn't go well for him, I must say I kicked his ass! After I saw 20/20, I thought, definitely, I knew I could take that guy and I did. The mind is a wonderful thing.
ReplyDelete- The ever anonymous Becky
I read an article that I wrote my opinion piece for the class on about anxiety, and it talked about our fight or flight response within our nature. The benefits for our ancestors are quite obvious. When they had to run from a bear, for example, that nervous system response allowed them to do so. Adrenaline can be a great thing for us. If you're walking alone at night, you'll probably notice how aware you are of your surroundings, and if you ever heard foot steps behind you, that fight or flight response would kick in, and cause you to run and probably survive the threat of danger. In this way, the flight response is positive, I think, but when it comes to running from your own personal problems, I'm not sure it's a positive thing. I tend to avoid things too, especially the biggest issues. I think that if I avoid them they'll just go away. But they don't, and I've started to learn that it's a lot better to deal with things when they happen, because otherwise, they just build up and create an even bigger problem. Fly when you can, but you have to land sometimes!
ReplyDeleteThe fight or flight response is an interesting thing. It's linked into people' biology as to how they'd react most commonly in a situation. Most people want to avoid confrontation and run away, others can be set off easily and just want to fight. I've always been more of the one to remove myself from a situation. It's interesting to see what can influence that though.
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