by Annie Yang
Animals have fear as humans do, but humans often overlook the fact that they share the same emotions with other animals. Since humans only consider themselves, they neglect important things around them. But humans, the most intelligent beings, should attempt to think from animals’ point of view. If we define fear as a reaction to external threats, then the feelings of terror that animals experience are much greater than ours. Fear is the most harmful thing to animals’ emotions because they become frightened much more easily than humans. The fundamental reason is that animals possess different cognitive systems which rely on images to think, and humans on the other hand often depend on language and words. Images bring much more fear than words do. Just compare the experience of watching a horror movie with simply listening to a ghost story. As a result, the trauma in animals’ minds never completely recovers from their memories of fear. Fear has a purpose for both man and animals. Fearless is basically a type of disability but moderate fear can also make creatures survive. The function of fear is to teach animals how to predict the future and to make the right decisions. In wild animals, fear is a proper behavior that helps them successfully to escape latent danger and to keep them alive in the wild. For instance, antelopes living on the prairie will be in terror of something yellow or something moving speedily because these things show the signs of potential risk such as lions or leopards. If an antelope did not feel afraid it might be killed, and its ability to feel fear enables it to survive. However, many animals nowadays do not live completely in the wild and hence have experiences of contact with humans or have even been raised by them. As a result, their emotions of fear are now related to human beings. Pigs raised as a source of meat are a remarkable example. Pigs constantly feel scared during the entire process from the farm to the slaughterhouse, carried in overcrowded trucks and confronting unfamiliar and uncomfortable conditions such as strange noises, iron railings, harsh colors, and the wailing of other pigs. Moreover, pigs tremble and try to retreat while waiting in line at the slaughterhouse. We cannot be certain that they actually realize what they will confront, but their fear is generally not comprehended by the farmers or by those who work in the meat packing industry. Besides animals being slaughtered, pets are another type of animal whose emotions are deeply affected and governed by man. Although pets are raised by humans their natural cognitive systems are more sensitive to variations in their surroundings. Therefore, every single detail in human society can cause disastrous pressure and horror in pets. As mentioned before, animal memory is retained in images. For instance, dogs which are mistreated, beaten, or abandoned by their owners need a very long time to recover from their miserable memories. Since images of fear live on in their minds, sometimes they will be afraid of specific movements such as hands being raised, or of things like ropes or the sounds of a vehicle. Humans invariably believe that they are far beyond other animals in the course of evolution; nevertheless, we still need to learn how to get along with them. We should not view animals as brutes because in fact we are very much alike. In the case of livestock and pets, since we have brought these animals into the world we should take care of them and allow them to live and die with dignity. Reducing excessive fear in their lives is the responsibility of us all. By Ariel Yeh
Do you remember the last time you ate sushi? There is nothing wrong with devouring a feast of fish. However, before you do so you might want to think about the process of how those fish were caught. Was it a friendly catch? Though the oceans seem to be very productive, marine species are facing very severe depletion. According to a recent study published in the journal Nature, “90% of all large fishes have disappeared from the world’s oceans in the past half century as a result of overfishing.” Overfishing simply means to catch more fish than the system can naturally afford. And this is the most critical problem for marine life compared to other types of fishery industry, such as fish farming. Here I would like to categorize two major consequences of overfishing, by-catching and habitat destroying. By-catching happens when unwanted marine creatures get trapped by commercial nets when fishing for targeted species. According to scientific research, about one-fourth of the annual global catch kills and discards undesirable species, including large marine mammals. As a result, by-catching not only diminishes the gene pool in marine diversity, but also severely interferes with the natural food chain. Consequently, when higher-level species are exhausted to extinction, many lower species will be left with no predators. One study in northern California showed that a once prosperous scallop fishery collapsed because of an increased population of rays, because the sharks that had normally eaten them had been eliminated due to by-catching. Even more, animals’ behavior will be immensely affected, such as the way seals swim to avoid being caught. And the consequences affect not only marine life but also the fishery industry. Eventually human beings will suffer the most. The invaluable resources of tropical rainforests are thoroughly protected by legal regulations, but what about the “tropical rainforest” under the sea? The destruction of coral reefs is another important issue. To watching a video of boats unmercifully dragging along the seafloor and overturning the seabed is heartbreaking and devastating. Without these habitats there will be no more fish, and jellyfish may occupy the waters and turn them into dead zones. Although many research papers continue working on new nets to reduce these effects, there are still difficulties because of the way most fishing boats are constructed, thereby increasing the costs and reducing the amount of the fish harvest. To solve this problem, European countries have made policies persuading fishermen to try out new equipment with the help of government subsidies. Although it is impossible to eradicate overfishing overnight, there are many things we can do to help protect our priceless marine life. For example, traditional Chinese wedding banquets can dispense with shark’s fin soup, which is usually served just because it is very expensive. With an increased awareness of our ecosystem, we can take action now. The United Nations terrifyingly reports that only 1% of the stock of marine fish is recovering from depletion. Fear is not enough, what we need is action! by Julie Lee
Once in a while we all encounter periods of disruption or stress, which are the main symptoms associated with bipolar behavior, a mood disorder that can involve suicidal tendencies or other dangerous actions. Broadly defined, 4% of people experience bipolar feelings at some point in their lives, so please take a second to think whether any of your friends has ever had symptoms like these: Bipolar is a very complex disorder with many facets. It is composed of manic behavior, which brings inexhaustible energy, and depression, which affects the patient even more when he or she is already feeling melancholy. Besides, serious shifts in mood, energy, and manner of thought are also common, as well as abnormally elevated levels of energy, both high and low. Patients are reluctant to seek treatment because they feel so ecstatic. However, while they may seem energetic and euphoric, the aftermath could be disastrously destructive and devastate everyone and everything around them. What’s more, bipolar disorder can lead to suicidal tendencies. One out of three people with bipolar issues have either attempted suicide or actually completed it, and the annual average suicide rate is 0.4%, which is 10 to 20 times that of the general population. The lifetime prevalence of bipolar disorders varies, but studies have indicated that the onset of full symptoms occurs in late adolescence or young adulthood, when suicides are also common. The factors contributing to bipolar disorders are lifestyle irregularities or a genetic vulnerability. According to studies on twins, genes substantially contribute to the prevalence of bipolar behavior. Also, there are several common practices on college campuses that can trigger bipolar issues, such as binge drinking and sleep deprivation. When such factors are combined, your friend with bipolar tendencies is at risk, and this may interfere with his or her ability to function and carry out day-to-day tasks. If any of these abnormalities are spotted, don’t just walk away, ignoring the underlying causes of bipolar disorder. Sadly, we often do not confront our mental problems, and bipolar sufferers also face social stigma, stereotypes, and various forms of prejudice. In fact, according to mental health experts, this is the last thing we should do. Since neglect or denial can easily lead to more severe occurrences of psychotic episodes, bipolar disorders do not emerge spontaneously but are a result of our own disregard. Diagnosing the problems in their early stages can not only prevent complications, but avoid the harm of living with untreated bipolar disorders. Bipolar behavior can be very scary when we close our eyes to its treatment. However, embracing medical help can diminish our fear of the disease. by Wanda Chiu
Death is a reality no one can deny and it can happen at any time. However, if someone talks about death many people refuse to listen as if death did not exist. But it is a reality we need to face, a reality that we need to be prepared for. And before death becomes a reality, what comes first is the fear of death. Fear of death is the ultimate source of all human fears or the sum of all fears. Physical death is dreadful and paralyzing. It means total annihilation of all that we know - a total detachment from the human world and all material comforts exclusive to life. People are afraid to die maybe because of the uncertainties of the life to come. Buddhists believe in reincarnation, and they are uncertain whether they will be reincarnated as human beings or as an inferior form of life. Christians are also uncertain of their destiny, not knowing whether they will go to a heaven and a full life or to a hell with a complete annihilation of the soul. Death is perceived as the meeting point between life and the life to come, and an entrance to a life of eternity. Types of Death Fears Fear of death can be broken down into a few more specific fears: Fear of pain and suffering - many people fear that they will meet death with excruciating pain and suffering. This fear is common in many healthy people and is often seen in patients dying of cancer or other painful diseases. Fear of the unknown - death is the ultimate unknown. No one has survived it to tell us what happens afterward. It’s in our human nature to want to understand and make sense of the world around us but death can never be fully understood while we are still alive. Fear of non-existence - many people fear that they will cease to exist after death. This fear isn’t confined only to atheists. Many religious people also worry that their belief in an afterlife isn’t true after all. Fear of external punishment – this belief isn’t only for the most devout. People from every religion as well as many with no religion at all fear that they will be punished for what they did, or did not do, here on earth. Fear of loss of control – our human nature seeks control over situations. Death is something that is out of our control and that is very scary. Some people will attempt to hold some control over death with extremely careful behavior and rigorous health checks. Fear of what will become of our loved ones – probably the most common fear of death among new parents, single parents, and caregivers is the fear of what will happen to those entrusted to our care if we should die. Fear of death can be so severe that it interferes with our daily life. It can consume one’s thoughts and affect the decisions we make. This is an unhealthy fear and should be addressed by a trained mental-health professional. But it’s possible that the fear of death can be healthy as well. When we fear dying, we are more careful and take appropriate precautions like wearing seat belts and bike helmets. A healthy fear of death also reminds us to make good use of our time while we are still alive, and not to take any encounters or relationships for granted. It pushes us to work hard to leave a lasting legacy and to stay up-to-date with those we love. As someone once said, “I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.” The closer you get to love, the less room there is for fear. By Robin Lin
Think about the last time you saw a cockroach, spider, or something that you were afraid of. Did you yell or scream? Imagine that you witness a bloody murder and you are terribly horrified. What would you do? Run away immediately? Stand frozen on the spot? Interestingly, all of these reactions are possible, and different people react differently even to the same situation. While you are screaming over a cockroach crawling in front of you, someone else might run away. Have you ever wondered how we react to things we are afraid of? First, let’s get a little background knowledge about fear. Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. Some of the most common fears are of ghosts, cockroaches, spiders, snakes, heights, enclosed spaces, bridges, needles, and public speaking. However, it’s obvious that most people aren’t afraid of all these things but just two or three of them. What makes a difference, besides our individual natures, is our previous experience, most commonly in childhood. For example, if a child falls into a well and struggles to get out, he or she may develop a fear of heights, enclosed spaces, or water. Common reactions to things we’re afraid of include screaming, trembling, sweating, standing still, running away, and being panicked and anxious (not knowing what to do). Almost everyone has these reactions. Our nerve and endocrine systems make us respond in these ways. Our body wants to warn us that we are afraid, so the body takes action, causing us to sweat or tremble. Or our body wants to stay away and avoid the fearful things; therefore we run, fleeing from the scene. However, if the situation is too terrifying, sometimes our body cannot do anything. That’s why we stand still, or just cry. There can be many physiological changes in the body associated with fear, which can be summarized as the “fight or flight” response. This is our innate response for coping with danger; it works by accelerating the heart rate, dilating the blood vessels, and increasing muscle tension and our breathing rate. As the name suggests, this primitive mechanism helps us survive by either running away or fighting off the danger. It is also used to explain reactions to fear in animals. For example, rats try to escape when threatened, but will fight when cornered. Although some say that the theory is too simple (some animals stand perfectly still so that predators will not see them, some may freeze or play dead in the hope that the predator will lose interest), it is still enough to explain some basic human reactions to fear. In prehistoric times, fighting was manifested in aggressive, combative behavior, and flight was manifested in fleeing potentially threatening situations. Just as in a fantasy movie, when a group of adventurers encounter a dragon some may want to run away and others will decide to fight. In addition, men and women tend to deal with stressful situations differently. Men are more likely to respond to an emergency situation with aggression (fighting), while women are more likely to flee (flight), turn to others for help, or attempt to defuse the situation. During stressful times, a mother is especially likely to show protective responses toward her offspring and affiliate with others for shared social responses to threat. Nevertheless, there are always exceptions. When seeing a cockroach in the kitchen, a husband might scream and ask his wife for help, and she calmly crushes the insect without hesitation and mercy. Anything is possible, isn’t it? by Wei-wei Chan With the help of health education, there’s a growing awareness of AIDS, and most people now know that without any contact of blood or mucous membranes from an infected person, the HIV virus will find no way to bother you. Despite this, misunderstanding still exists, and people are actually afraid to breathe the same air with HIV-positive people. The values of equality and freedom have been assured in the constitutions of many nations and they have become nearly universal rules. Everyone, except prisoners, is entitled to choose where and how to live his or her own life. However, HIV-positive people are constantly dogged by prejudice and social stigma. Neighbors unite like never before, asking you to leave, even filing a lawsuit against you. Perhaps these reactions seem understandable, but they all stem from illogical fear. This is only discrimination and not an excuse. The Taiwan-based NGO, Harmony Home Association, serves as a shelter for homeless people with HIV/AIDS, and they too were sued for serious misuse of a building where they operated. Their neighbors alleged that Harmony Home would ultimately destroy the peace of the community and put the other residents in jeopardy. It was also claimed that the building was a residential community of high density, and thus operating any sort of business wasn’t allowed, even if Harmony Home’s only business was to receive patients with an epidemic disease. The Taipei District Court ruled against Harmony Home during its first trial, stating that “the presence of the shelter… could pose a public health concern, affect environmental sanitation, and threaten the psychological health of nearby residents.” Harmony Home filed an appeal, however, and the new court ruled that the apartment building had no legitimate right to force Harmony Home to move, because the right to decide one’s place of residence was clearly prescribed in the Constitution. The case was widely publicized through the media, raising public concern and winning support from many organizations and other advocates of human rights. Eventually, a milestone piece of legislation was passed in 2007, designed especially for HIV-positive patients, known as the HIV Infection Control and Patient Rights Protection Act. Article 4 reads that “the dignity and the legal rights of the infected shall be protected and respected; there shall be no discrimination, no denial of education, medical care, employment, nursing home, housing or any other unfair treatment.” After this case, what next? Legal conflicts can be settled in court, but justice has not yet been fulfilled. The ugly truth is that negative labeling and public avoidance continue, leading the infected to conceal their disease or face discrimination and perhaps even violence. These stigmas go far beyond a fear of contracting the disease, and are a complex of biased attitudes toward the groups or lifestyles which are perceived to be connected with the disease. For example, homosexuality and bisexuality are often erroneously attached to the illness, or inversely, people living with AIDS are assumed to be sexually promiscuous or illegal drug users. Even worse, many people assume that certain sexual orientations entail a wild private life, and, thus, AIDS. This is nothing more than an excuse for certain social groups to despise others. To repeat, AIDS is no more dangerous to other people than diabetes or high blood pressure. Saying hello with a polite smile won’t infect you, so what’s wrong living next to a person with AIDS? It may be a cliché but it is true that people with HIV/AIDS need our friendliness and encouragement to return to the community. There’s no reason to quarantine or exclude them and they do not have a lesser right to live than anyone else. By Karen Wu
As a person who never watches horror movies, I regard them as one of the weirdest things in the world. They are defined by Wikipedia as a movie genre that seeks to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on their most primal fears. Since fear is a distressing negative sensation, I can’t help wondering why people would want to watch horror films to torture themselves. After an online search and several personal interviews, I came up with the following interesting reasons. First, thrill seeking. Alfred Hitchcock, one of cinema’s most significant horror movie directors, once said that “drama is life with the dull bits left out.” In general, people like horror movies because they have dull lives. It can let them experience thrills and suspense that would not be possible in everyday life. They desire to experience the most frightening murders or be chased by terrifying monsters, but they also want the security of just turning the movie off and going back to real life. Second, a relief from violence. According to an abundance of research, violence exists in human nature, and history has had many wars as vivid proof of this fact. Therefore, we all need to find a way to release this violent tendency. Watching horror movies is a great way for people to exercise their violent emotions without hurting anyone. They can do anything illegal, enjoy breaking all the rules of life, and do not need to worry about the consequences. Third, receiving pleasure. On an unconscious level, people compare their own problems to the problems in horror movies and always feel much better when seeing the actors suffer much more than they do. Although most people never realize the connection between their preference for horror movies and the pleasure they get from watching them, psychological research has proven it many times. Horror movie-goers derive pleasure from violent and unpleasant scenes! Fourth, protecting and being protected (especially for couples). Some men might ask women out for a horror movie at the beginning of the dating stage so they can hold their partner when they are scared, and some people might regard this as a win-win situation for both sexes. Men can fulfill their protective instincts, while women can feel secure and protected. Although it is a stereotype, some men think it really works fantastically (at least according to one of my best male friends). After investigating these reasons, now I don’t think that horror-movie lovers are so freakish as I thought. However, I personally won’t dare to watch horror movies since I will certainly have nightmares. What’s your opinion? Why not post a comment on our website and share your experience with us: ntuforex.blogspot.com We look forward to hearing from you! by Jorge Villanueva
Many events have caused pandemonium throughout the world. Also known as mass hysteria, events such as global viruses and terrorist attacks have affected us all. But from time to time we’ve also seen people creating scandals and spreading commotion only to end in an apology that people have gotten hurt for no rational reason. Here are some examples you might find interesting: The Salem Witch Trials Imagine being judged for witchcraft and then sentenced to hang. This might sound crazy in modern times, but in the 17th century most communities in the United States were crazy about religion. Many women were persecuted for witchcraft or for presumed association with the devil. There were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts, in the famous villages of Salem, Ipswich, and Andover. We know about these trials mostly because of movies and stories, but in reality they took a serious toll on the religious beliefs and the theocracy of the time. Not only were people falsely accused of witchcraft, but they were also executed, resulting in around thirty deaths. The War of the Worlds “The world is being attacked by alien invaders.” What would your reaction be if you heard that in the late 1930’s on the radio, the most popular source of entertainment at the time? Some called it impossible but most of the audience was shocked and panicked, calling the authorities for information and preparing for the worst. A radio program decided to play a Halloween prank on its audience by dramatizing H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds as a breaking news story. This might be one of the best examples of mass hysteria ever. It was also useful to show how people were influenced by the media. The plot was set in New Jersey, were the news was supposedly being broadcast from. It first explained that a meteorite had crashed into the earth and that a rocket machine had begun to incinerate people with some sort of beam. People reacted terribly to the broadcast, informing the police and alarming their neighbors. What would a prank would have to be like nowadays to scare people in the same way War of the Worlds did back in the 1930’s? The Y2K Problem Living through the change of the millennium was exciting, but of course there were also fears of what it could bring. Perhaps the idea that machines might have a mind of their own was only imagined in the movies, but there was a real problem that digital equipment would change the year 1999 to 1900 instead of 2000, making all their processes invalid and ultimately breaking down. This would supposedly involve banks, stock markets, security systems, and any kind of electrically operated system, resulting in chaos and mayhem. Actually, governments and international organizations had to spend billions correcting the problem, which added up to around 300 billion US dollars. The hysteria caused by this phenomenon was widely spread by geeks who wanted to boycott big enterprises such as software companies and organizations that ran databases. 2012 It might not have been the best movie of all time but it certainly reflects a growing fear of some groups that the end of the world will occur on December 21st this year. Will we be able to celebrate Christmas? Or might the world as we know it be gone forever? Doomsday theories vary in shape and color, from a spiritual reformation that could change our way of life, to a cataclysmic event such as the collision of earth with another celestial body or a huge earthquake that will end all life. The most famous theory concerns the Mayan belief that we are living in a “fourth world,” which means that there were three unsuccessful worlds before our own and that ours would last 5,125 years, with another cycle being completed this December, when our “fourth world” will end. We have frequently been bombarded with alarming news and claims of dreadful events, but never has the world seen such growing concern towards one event. Not only have people have started to prepare, like citizens of the United States buying underground shelters, but some have also started building colonies for the survivors, such as people from Corguinho, Brazil. You might call this just meaningless paranoia or fear, but how do we know that something not really about to happen? Whether you decide to prepare as well depends on how you see the end of the world. Taiwanese End of the World While most end of the world preachers prefer setting their presumed apocalypses far in the future, a daring Taiwanese called Master Wang predicted it to occur on May 11, 2011 at 10:45 a.m. He said a 14.0 degree earthquake would hit the island followed by a huge tsunami. This news was widely spread in the Taiwanese media, which naturally exaggerates every story that comes into their hands. This actually drove one person to commit suicide. After the incident, police were stationed outside Master Wang’s residence, waiting for his predictions to take place, but in the end he was arrested for disturbing the peace and creating panic among the people. |
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May 2024
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