The Five Fears All People Share

We should never forget that fear is a healthy feeling. It’s part of your survival instincts. Some of the fears that all people share are completely reasonable. In fact, it is not a good idea to get rid of them completely. This is because if you get rid of them, you will also get rid of your sense of risk and expose yourself to it unnecessarily.

The common fears that all people share are related to physical maintenance and the psychology of integrity and life. They are universally true because they protect us and have strong biological and phylogenetic roots.

You may not realize that fear is an impressive force. If you are aware of it, you can use it to your advantage. People do some ridiculous things out of fear. Yet they can also channel that fear and use it to create incredible things. Perhaps religion, philosophy and science are all answers to these fears. They are just different ways to control them. But what are people afraid of in general?

The five fears all people share

1. Death

This fear is the heart of our survival instincts. From a biological point of view, life finds a way. All organisms fight to the death. From a philosophical point of view, life is the greatest good, all other goodness and virtue derive from it.

Fear of death also gives rise to a number of other fears that relate to the same idea. We are afraid of heights because we can fall and die. It is the same reason why we are afraid of planes, extremely high speeds, etc. These fears are something all people share across cultures.

2. Loss of autonomy

In other words, we are talking about being afraid of losing your freedom and the control you have over your actions and thoughts. From a symbolic point of view, this aspect is related to fear of death. It involves rejecting the idea of ​​losing the self or the impossibility of revealing the said self.

Many other fears stem from this fundamental fear. For example, the fear of getting stuck under ruins or being locked up in places with very little oxygen. These are both situations where a person’s freedom is very limited.

3. Loneliness

Even more than being afraid of being alone, one of the most common fears is losing touch with the world. Rejection or underestimation puts us on the alert. They are signs that we may lose our connection with the group and be condemned and banned.

Not getting enough recognition and respect leaves an emotional wound that can take a long time to heal. Jealousy and selfishness are emotions that also accompany this fear. If someone is jealous or jealous, it is because they are just afraid of being abandoned.

4. Fear of getting sick or being maimed

Fear of mutilation is also linked to our survival instincts. You need your body to function properly. That is why we are afraid of certain instruments such as needles and knives.

The fear of getting sick is also very common. We are afraid of harming our bodies and do not want to get into situations that could affect our health and well-being. Therefore, we stay away from places that are dirty or wild animals, for example.

5. Humiliation

This is similar to being afraid of loneliness. In this case, however, the fear has more to do with feeling excluded and feeling humiliated in public. No one wants to feel excluded or mocked by other people. People are afraid of feeling worse or addicted.

This fear, as well as being afraid of loneliness, is of a social nature. The more open and diverse a society is, the less fear people experience. On the other hand, this fear is very common in strict and very traditional groups.

These five common fears have been around for a long time. Advertising and propaganda sometimes use these fears to manipulate us. But humans are also infinitely intelligent and creative. Thus, we can learn to deal with our fears so that they do not paralyze us, and so that we do not succumb to external pressure.