Reply To: Fear of confrontation – Help needed – My Journey with PSTEC

Hi Paul

Mostly I think we agree with each other    However I will disagree on one point “you weren't born with a fear of confrontation” I believe we all most certainly were, but this might swing on how you “see” confrontation. If you put your face right in front of a babies and shout or bare your teeth and growl it will most certainly be afraid and scream for it's mother. The most basic of fears with a behavioral response is built in to us and I think all animals. As humans with a long “growing up” phase we can learn to modify our behaviors appropriate to the situation. I challenge you to face up to a wild animal lion, tiger, bull or some such and if it charges at you, you might run or stand and defend yourself depending on what weapon you may or may not have and learnt to use. However you will still be afraid, a fear you did not learn which “kicks in” that fight or flight response. This same fear underlies all less dangerous confrontations with other people specially while growing up which form our feelings of self worth/esteem.
I'll agree that my view of confrontation might be a bit too broad for some people.

Peter