Fear as the Fundamental Human Emotion: A Deep Dive
Humans often shape their identities around core attributes such as ambition, love, resilience amongst a multitude of others. Yet, a deeper analysis of individual behaviours and the forces that drive them point to a singularity, an omnipresent energy that controls these impulses in which we act. Perhaps, this underlying presence is unconscious in a sense, but developing a greater understanding and grappling with self-awareness can enable personal identification. This essay explores whether this energy, fear, should be considered as the fundamental, and possibly the most important emotion by examining morality, identity, and human resolve.
Whilst fear is only one “true” emotion out of an infinite assortment processed by people, I believe it displays a multifaceted nature in actually shaping these qualities that humans frequently pride themselves on. Fear may be the most influential property because it underlies, often without recognition, behaviour, feelings and values which may appear unrelated to fear entirely.
So why do we even feel fear in the first place? Fear is an ancient evolutionary mechanism that precedes modern humanity and was essential for pure survival in early human history. Fear is processed through the brain in a neural pathway starting at the thalamus. Once there is a threat detected, the thalamus fires signals to the amygdala which processes them and allows the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Ancestors with a greater “fight-or-flight” response typically survived longer than those without it, as they were able to perceive a threat before it was too late. In contemporary society, the average human being is not in a constant battle to survive day-by-day, hence fear itself has evolved into a different mechanism entirely. Whilst it still possesses the ability to produce “fight-or-flight” responses, this emotion has developed into an unseen backbone for everyday behaviour and values.
If fear originated from the need to survive, it is reasonable to ask whether it extends beyond these specific situations. As previously stated, modern individuals rarely fear predators on a regular schedule, yet fear is still as prominent as ever. As humans have evolved, fear has also progressed past its unidimensional qualities and has embedded itself as a necessary evil within our psychology. Fear manifests into actions, thoughts and characteristics that define conscious life, often grounding itself through behaviours that seem unrelated to fear entirely. For example, humans usually measure success in the form of accolades or achievements. Usually, this is seen as a positive experience, however an individual may be suffering from fear of failure, neglect or insignificance which actually drives their motivation for success. In addition, the pursuit of major wealth is similarly entrenched in the fear of poverty and instability, providing a sugarcoated barrier to the tightening grip of reality. In both, and many other cases, if this fear becomes “conquered” by materialistic veils, increasing attachment to these mere “things” may create an environment for pride and greed to emerge. Although fear is uncomfortable, it is necessary. Fear appears to be the most driving force behind human values and behaviours, meaning it cannot be ignored, only managed by embracing one’s identity.
It is now established that fear can be used as a vehicle for success, but it possesses a duality. If someone’s fear is not recognised as a part of their character, and is rather ignored, detrimental effects may deteriorate one’s morality. By diving into the deadliest sin, pride, we can confront the possibility that fear, or the attempt to escape it, is the sole reason an individual embodies this. Unrestrained confidence functions as a defence against fear as an endeavour to escape it by becoming the opposite. An individual with a strong, outgoing personality and an invulnerable self-image could be grappling with the fear of inadequacy or rejection.
The person that looks truly fearless is perhaps, among the most fearful.
To further examine the insidious effects of underlying fear, we must address a consistent, universal, conscious conduct of manipulation. If fear has the capacity to linger without recognition in our everyday behaviours, what role does it play in actually being truthful to ourselves? A fascinating concept is that people rarely lie “just for the sake” of lying, there is almost always a deeper reason behind action. A lie serves as a fabricated veil against honest consequences. Lying is ingrained in the human psyche from early childhood; for example, a child lies after breaking something as protection from angering the owner. As one progresses through life, the art of lying becomes a part of their person. Most would have heard of the phrase, “living a lie,” however many don’t realise the truth encompassed by the statement and the universality of it. The acts of exaggeration, fake diplomacy, or manipulation all provide temporary security against the vice of our true fears, all accumulating to a point where individuals become fragments of themselves in living their lies.
If fear holds the potential to become the driving force behind almost all core human values such as pride, ambition and even honesty, perhaps its most destructive trait is not the feeling itself, but the act of ignoring its influence, whether blissfully or intentionally. We have established that fear operates beneath conscious thought and manifests into ideals and behaviours that seem completely unrelated to its weight. But if fear has the ability to disrupt one’s true values, or even reach the extent that an individual is consciously devoting time to “living a lie,” how can someone truly find themselves without first confronting their greatest fears?
Whilst no human being may have the capacity to reach enlightenment, a continuous journey to self-awareness is much more realistic and healthy in finding identity. Self-awareness is steeped in honesty, which as discussed earlier, cannot be reached without challenging fear itself. A majority of individuals often spend their lives silently battling with the products of fear, but don’t reach beneath the surface to face the fear itself. In a sense, these people cannot find themselves without encountering the unconscious, and frankly uncomfortable barriers that lie in their hearts of darkness. Recognition however, does not eliminate fear at all. Fear is omnipresent. But having the capacity as a human to become aware and understand the effect that fear has on your values, opinions, and mental state transforms the slanted power dynamic from master to embraced companion. If accepted, even unwillingly, fear will no longer be the commander pulling the strings, but will instead act as an honest reason behind the uncomfortable feelings one encounters. This conscious reality allows the individual to regain their autonomy through evaluating whether their fear has the authority to control their actions.
To keep escalating up the hierarchy of human principles, I pose to you the question: if fear holds such a clutch over human values and behaviours, does it also have the power to shape our morality? Many moral virtues may emerge from fear, suggesting that it can stand as one of the central pillars in the colosseum of the individual ethics system. Most people like to think that they act morally because: they are good people, they value justice, and that they don’t expect external praise for their actions. If we look deeper into these “virtues,” we start to question whether humans are truly virtuous, or if they act in a selfless facade? By diving into the core ideals behind morality, a recurring theme seems to appear as motivation to value these cornerstones, vulnerability. If we take justice as an example, humans care profoundly about maintaining moral integrity that it even becomes a demand. The demand for justice. But why? This “need” could have possibly originated from the fear that unchecked suffering for others may potentially become one’s own in the near future. This can be seen as altruistic, although when searching beyond face value, it points to a more psychologically complex and selfish conclusion.
If fear enables the concept of morality, are moral behaviours genuinely moral?
Let’s look at a theoretical case study: One person does not cheat on their partner because they’re scared of getting caught and facing the consequences. However, another person does not cheat on their partner because they believe infidelity is wrong. The latter scenario would be almost objectively considered “more moral.” This analogy can be easily applied to many moral crossroads, allowing us to tackle a vulnerable ultimatum of human spirit: can we transcend selfishness by understanding our central fears to ultimately become truly moral? Hence, fear shows us that it can initiate morality, but it cannot fully explain the reasoning responsible for our authentic feelings. That requires a further assessment of individual character.
What if we looked into the contrary, a life without fear? Most individuals have a seemingly subconscious goal to conquer their fears and eventually live a life of “freedom.” When someone is incapable of fearing, there cannot be insecurity, anxiety or suffering under the potential consequences of each decision. It simply does not matter. I would like to introduce a hypothetical scenario: If a person is knowingly immortal, what do they value, and even further, what is their point of living? As mortal humans, life is our most valued asset because it has an inevitable end. Would an everlasting being possess a burning anxiety over the possible loss of a relationship? Would they cherish the mundane moments of life the same as a normal person? Because once every outcome of existence has occurred an infinite amount of times, complacency is inescapable. Hence, a person without fear is not necessarily courageous, as courage requires fear to have meaning. They become ignorant. Detached. Reality is disconnected from their psychological standpoint because fear enables emotional recognition of consequences. Without fear, actions lose meaning. The central concern is that humans do not fear everything equally, they fear based on how much they value an asset of their life. This is evidence that fear works as a shadow cast by value. It is not merely a response, but a catalyst that gives life significance by working in tandem with value and loss.
As a final conclusion, we must remember that fear originated as an ancient mechanism for survival. Whilst it still serves this purpose, it must be recognised that its evolution as an underlying force beneath the human resolve is truly profound. We have discussed that fear shapes ambition, pride, honesty, identity and even the things we assign different levels of value to. But perhaps these are merely below the grandeur. Perhaps, our greatest fear is not even a concrete threat, it is the possibility that the act of existing is quite frankly nihilistic. The lifelong endeavour for unattainable meaning could conceivably be the true plight of human conscience itself. The fear of meaninglessness potentially sits at the original singularity beneath all tangible thoughts, values and actions, silently driving our search for connection and achievement. In a disturbingly ironic sense, evidence that meaning matters may directly arise from this fundamental fear.
So what to do with this information? Embrace it. If fear is so deeply woven into the human psyche, a pursuit of life without fear might be a misguided goal to start with. Fear cannot be conquered in any permanent sense because it lingers beneath all individual thought, value, and liminal mental space between acting or not. Thus fear is not some tyrant to dethrone, or something to be hidden away, because if people do not accept all aspects of their character, they are not truly themselves. The goal is to shift the power dynamic from a master to an acquaintance, one that can teach us what we value the most by becoming self-aware to it. Ultimately, if our deepest, most hidden fears are understood and embraced by being uncomfortably vulnerable and honest with ourselves, realistic freedom becomes accessible. Instead of choosing to run from our fears, genuine autonomy can be regained in allowing us to decide whether a situation deserves our fear, as opposed to being controlled by it.
Therefore, through walking hand-in-hand with fear itself, true freedom is found.
P.s. I am only 19 and this is my first project written out of pure self-interest. My concepts are certainly not concrete as I am still maturing in my philosophical journey. Open to discussions :)