Phobia

Phobia’s of Man Dexter Roberts October 30, 2012 Eng/215 Professor T. Redmond To begin to understand ones fear, one must first tap into the person’s mental and emotional state. Frank Furedi, Paul Rogers, and David Myers have spent years researching and studying human behavior and their psychology. The authors would have us believe that there is reason to be afraid of politicians or that the world in which we live in is a peaceful place and that the things that you fear are the wrong things to be afraid of. Overcoming phobias and concurring ones fears can be profound and liberating to one’s quality of life. The statement “Do we fear the right things'” puts this entire paper in perspective. Author David Myers asked the question, “Do our intuitive fears fit the facts'” Are the things that make us afraid warranted' The definition of fear is an emotion induced by a perception of a threat. Frank Furedi wrote, “Fear is no longer simply an emotion or a response to a perceived threat, it is a cultural idiom. Society’s phobias are vast, and who is to say that they are not without merit. Evidence of this lies within the walls of The World Trade Center, located at Liberty and Church Street, New York, NY. A little girl told her father that she was afraid to go to the top of the buildings because they might fall. Who knew that the fears of a little girl would become one of the profound moments in the country’s history. That day 2,819 people lost their lives, Mothers never to be seen again, fathers never to be seen again, families destroyed. Paul Rogers said “The world is becoming more peaceful” but history dictates that the world is as dangerous as it has ever been. In his passages, Furedi indicated that he believes some fears are irrational. Speaking as a family man, how can this author think that the safety of one’s family or anything that may cause them harm is irrelevant. Some fears are part of one’s environment. Some people cannot walk down the street without experiencing fear in their community. Other people that don not live in that neighborhood do not think that these threats are relevant. So who is to say what fears are relevant or irrelevant. In Rodger’s essay he spoke about the things that happened as a result of conflict that was unseen. He stated that “casualties can be hugely misleading, especially when conflicts happen in weak and impoverished societies. The nature of war is a cruel and despicable act, and war is a continuation of politics by other means. It serves political agendas and topples governments, dislocates families and makes orphans. The writer makes a valid point when saying “that no social order that tolerates such vast inequalities can long endure.” The authors made very convincing arguments in their essays but one thing that must be considered before taking a position on any issue. First, does this make sense' How do these issues fit in with one’s belief system' References