Fear: The Silent Sculptor

Have you ever noticed how some people snap at others for no apparent reason, or bump into someone without so much as a "sorry"? If you’re anything like me, you’ve not only observed this — you’ve probably done it too. I know I have.

Most of us would agree it’s not right to take out our frustrations on a random stranger — say, the person at the supermarket checkout. And yet, it happens all the time. I’ve often wondered why. It seems so unnecessary, so disproportionate to the moment.

Lately, I’ve been thinking: what if fear is behind it?

Fear, at its core, is both a biological and psychological response meant to protect us from perceived threats. The amygdala — a small structure in the brain — plays a central role. It detects danger and triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, flooding us with stress hormones and preparing us to act.

But what happens when there’s nothing to fight and nowhere to flee?

What if the fear is about something abstract — something that might happen tomorrow or next week? A looming deadline. A difficult conversation. An uncertain future. The threat is real in the mind, but there's no physical outlet for the body's charged-up response.

Maybe that tension needs somewhere to go. Maybe that’s why a seemingly small interaction — a crowded aisle, a minor delay, a glance — sets someone off. Maybe that’s why we sometimes lash out at strangers… or even the people we love.