Fear is an emotion that has been built into every person as a protection mechanism. You likely are familiar with the expression "flight or fight, which refers to the brain's automatic response to danger. When we perceive that our safety is threatened, we have an immediate instinct to either run or to stand and fight the oncoming threat. The threat to our safety doesn't even need to be real. Even a perceived or "believed threat can trigger a flight-or-fight response.
At times, our fear is not related to a physical and external danger but to a fear that is much more internal-for example, a fear of failure or a fear of embarrassment. Such fears are not life-threatening, but we can have a strong emotional reaction to them nonetheless. We may find that our fear causes us to run away-emotionally if not literally and to refuse to take a risk that has the potential to IMPROVE our life. We may find that our fear paralyzes us, so we take no action at all. We may find that we immediately respond with something of a "fight" response in which we lash out at those who are giving us the challenge, find all sorts of excuses for not pursuing the challenge, or blame all sorts of people or things for putting the challenge in our path in the first place.
People have all sorts of internal fears, including a fear of change, a fear of making a decision, a fear of taking on the responsibilities that are perceived to go with a promotion or a move to the next level in life, a fear of discomfort, or a fear of putting something at risk.
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