The Impact of Fear on Human's Behavior

Fear can make humans do irrational things which can only help escalate the problem. In Phil Baker’s essay, “Fear,” he discusses how fear isn’t the only motivating factor behind violence, but it’s always present. He also explores how, when people with shared values, religion, tradition, language, etc., are threatened, the group will do anything for survival. This leads to the group trying to eliminate the threat through violence. What Phil Baker speaks of is completely true. This is exemplified in the article on McCarthyism and the book, The Crucible.

McCarthyism: A Case of Fear-Driven Actions

First of all, in the article on McCarthyism, people were afraid of communists invading the U.S. For example, because of this fear, Senator Joseph McCarthy rose to power by accusing others of communism. The article states, “There were fears of a nuclear holocaust based on the knowledge that the Soviet Union exploded its first A-bomb in 1949.” This meant McCarthy was able to exploit the people’s fear to accuse others of communism to maintain the safety of the nation. Another example is when The House Committee on Un-American Activities created a blacklist. The article notes, “Actors, writers, and producers alike were summoned to appear before the committee and provide names of colleagues who may have been members of the Communist Party. Those who repented and named names of suspected communists were allowed to return to business as usual. Those who refused… were cited for contempt.” This illustrates how paranoia about communism spread, and that if you refused to give names of “suspected” communists, you would face severe consequences. This fear-driven behavior disrupted lives and careers, showing the destructive power of fear.

The Crucible: Fear and Paranoia in Salem

In The Crucible, the people of Salem were easily manipulated into believing in witchcraft, which led to widespread conflicts. For example, Abigail and other girls engaged in activities considered witchcraft in the forest, and Abigail threatened the other girls, saying, “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.” This threat means that Abigail would harm them if any of the other girls told the truth about what happened in the forest. As a result, the girls feared for their lives and accused others of witchcraft, exacerbating the situation. Another example is that everyone in Salem practiced Christianity to reach their goal of a “city upon a hill.” In the book, Reverend Hale is one of the individuals who is very serious about catching witches; he states, “The jails are packed—our greatest judges sit in Salem now—and hangin’s promised.” This quote signifies that the jails in Salem are full of accused witches and that most will hang, showing the extent to which they are willing to go to cleanse the town of the ‘devil’ and realize their dream of a “city upon a hill.” The hysteria and fear drove them to extreme measures, highlighting the impact of fear on collective behavior.

Conclusion

In the end, fear is one of the many emotions that can change our behavior and how we think. In Phil Baker’s essay, “Fear,” I agree that fear could lead to violent tendencies. This can be shown in the article on McCarthyism and the book The Crucible. The examples provided demonstrate how fear can manipulate actions and decisions, leading to devastating consequences.

References

3. Baker, P. (Year). Fear. Publisher.

4. Author(s). (Year). McCarthyism. Publisher.

5. Miller, A. (Year). The Crucible. Publisher.