Three Types of Fear in Humans
And why it is important to know the difference
October is the month when most of the country is celebrating cooler weather, colorful leaves, and Halloween. Fall festivals and haunted houses. Candy apples and apple cider. It’s a great time of year unless you’re afraid of spooky things that go bump in the night.
As we all know, teens and young adults are particularly hard-wired for exploration and sensation seeking. Many actually enjoy the feeling of being afraid. In addition, feelings of fear usher in a rush of adrenaline causing a release of endorphins and dopamine which release stress and create a feeling of well-being.
While this may seem odd, Psychology Today suggests that experiencing similar fears brings people together instilling a sense of community or commonality around the experience.
That being said, let’s talk about the three basic types of fears that humans experience.
Rational fear
Rational is based on or related to reason. Rational fear is just that — it makes sense.
It is the fear that has evolved within us to warn of impending danger or a real threat. For example, if someone is pointing a gun at you, the fear of being shot is a rational fear. If you lose your job, eventually, being…
