Fear is something I frequently confront in many of the activities I choose to do with my free time. From motorcycle racing to surfing to backcountry snowboarding, I am often faced with that familiar chemical release when my brain believes I’ve written a check my body can’t cash. Daniel T. Blumstein, an ecologist at UCLA, wrote a book titled In the Nature of Fear: Survival Lessons from the Wild. The book is a history of the emotion itself. Fear is fascinating. Blumstein describes fear as fundamental in all animals, but that it requires nuance to be effective. We need to be aware of dangers but not so afraid that we are paralyzed by them. We balance our inclination to stay away from polar bears with our need to leave the house for food, social interactions and a healthy sex life. Being mauled by a polar bear while meeting a friend in New York City is a long shot unless you’re trespassing at the Bronx Zoo in February. The margins narrow considerably for the primate flying an airplane.
The Holy Shiver
Key Takeaways:
- Fear is a fundamental survival mechanism that requires a balanced approach to be effective, avoiding both paralysis and recklessness.
- Effective flight instruction should strategically use fear, allowing students to experience safe, impactful moments of apprehension to imprint crucial lessons for real dangers.
- Given individual differences in fear response, instructors must be astute observers of human behavior, tailoring their teaching delivery rather than just the syllabus.
- The complexity of managing fear and human behavior in high-stakes professions like flight instruction warrants significantly higher educational and training requirements.
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