Manipulated By Fear – The Threat is Not Real

by | Feb 5, 2022 | Culture of Care

Be mindful of people (like politicians) that play on fears by telling you that ______ (fill in the blank) is a threat to you and your way of life.

When we feel threatened, we react – we cannot NOT react (fight, flight or freeze). This reaction is formed in the middle part of our brain (limbic system). It’s an amazing, life-saving response, but was never meant to stay “on”. It’s not healthy (or helpful) to live in a constant state of constant hyper-vigilance.
 
Yet, it can be so easily manipulated by people that want you to feel fearful, threatened and outraged so that you will react (vote, protest, attack, click, buy, sell, leave, stay, etc.).
 
These people do not want to you live in the front “executive” part of your brain where empathy and reason lives. Patient people tend to think, meditate and consider versus react. That’s problematic to some – “winning you over” with logic and reason just takes too long.
With all these fears and threats that we are constantly being told about – I worry that we are experiencing some collective form of PTSD. It’s not even “post-traumatic” because people are constantly screaming that the threat is real and right in front of us. So, it’s current traumatic stress keeping us continuously on high-alert.
 
This elevated state of worry, dread and fear based on false or over-exaggerated threats is not good for us. It’s not healthy. In that state it is nearly impossible to feel peace and joy.
 
If you’re feeling this level of worry and stress, please, please, please find the “off” switch. Unplug. Detox from the “drug” / addiction that calls you to stay alert and pressures you into believing that it’s all up to you. Your mind and body need rest. Save your fight, flight, freeze response for real, life-threatening situations versus those imagined or manipulated. Be in control of your feelings instead of letting your feelings be in control of you.