Additional insights into are offered by Beyond Intractability project participants.
Fear is a very important factor in intractable conflict. Emotions like fear can often cause extreme and seemingly irrational behavior in people, which can result in escalating conflict. According to James F. Mattil, the Managing Editor of Flashpoints: Guide to World Conflict, "The common thread that weaves violent political movements together is fear. It is not the only motivating factor behind political violence, nor necessarily the most obvious, but it is virtually always there. Whenever we ask why people hate, or why they are willing to kill or die for a cause, the answer is invariably fear."[5]
People are social in nature, with shared values, religion, tradition, language, etc. Whenever the basic characteristics that tie a group together are threatened, the group will fear for its survival. As a result, the group will also attempt to get rid of the threat, sometimes through distorted or violent means.
History plays an important role in this process. Historical experiences shape how groups view threats. If a group has been hurt or wounded in the past, it affects their outlook today. For example, historical tensions and wrongdoing affect the way Israelis and Palestinians see each other today. Oftentimes, history is exaggerated -- meaning one group is portrayed as extremely heroic and another group portrayed as barbarian or inhuman. This in turn leads to more mistreatment, as it is easier to abuse or hurt a group that has been dehumanized . A cycle develops--someone is hurt, resulting in fear and the demonization of the person or group that hurt them. This, in turn, makes it easier for future wrongdoing to occur.
It is also important to note the impact that elites , or leaders, have on fear and conflict. Oftentimes, leaders use fear to their political advantage. Leaders need support from those they lead, and one way to gain this support is by playing on the fears of the people. Leaders in Northern Ireland can use the fear of either the Protestants or the Catholics to their own political advantage. Many have asserted that George Bush used the fear of another 9-11 to support the second U.S. war in Iraq. Leaders can even intentionally deepen these fears for their own purposes. Doing so can aggravate the already existing fears and lead to future difficulties.[6]
Individuals: There are many ways of approaching fear in the context of conflict. However, since fear is such a personal issue, most approaches focus on the individual. There are various ways to deal with your own fear, including
In order to overcome fears, individuals and groups must first come to terms with their own fears and understand just how destructive they can be. However, it is equally important to be aware of others' fears. Being aware of other people's fear allows you to deal with it appropriately. One of the most effective ways of handling the fear of others is through empathy, or seeing things from the other person's perspective. Once one does that, one can recognize actions of one's own that might be unnecessarily causing fear on the other side. By toning down one's language, or clarifying one's interests and needs, it is possible to dispel unwarranted fears, thereby helping the other side feel more secure. Empathy is also important in any attempt at reconciliation or mediation because it helps to foster a positive interaction between people.[8] It is also important to share your own fears so that others can empathize with you in return, and alter their behavior in ways that will lessen that fear as well.
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- |
Officials: Public support is essential for political leaders. One way leaders can gain this support is by addressing, playing off of, or even causing the fears of his or her people. As a result, leaders can play an important role in the creation and/or calming of fears, particularly in ethnic or inter-group conflicts. It is important that leaders are aware of the consequences of using fear as a motivational tool. Because fear is such a powerful emotion, leaders must be extremely cautious about playing on the fears of people. The former Yugoslavia is a perfect example of how the fears of the people can be used by leaders for power. Serb leaders often played on Serb fears in order to strengthen their power and to push people to do things they might otherwise have refused to do.[9] Contrast this with the very famous quote of Franklin Roosevelt: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." This is an overstatement...fear can be real and justified, but it is far too dangerous to exploit for other aims.
Third Parties: Mediators and third parties can play an important part in helping people to overcome their fears. By understanding the ways in which fear can create and escalate conflict, third parties can address these issues in a constructive manner. One way this can be accomplished is by assuring that people on both sides of a conflict feel that their individual needs and fears are being addressed. Oftentimes this is done through no-fault discussions, wherein people are not allowed to discuss who is wrong in a situation, but only ways in which they may move toward a peaceful resolution. Neither side should have to sacrifice in areas that they consider to be an important need or fear. Solutions must always "satisfy fundamental needs and allay deepest fears."[10]
It is also important to remember that an issue such as identity and the fears associated with it are not zero-sum . In other words, the calming of one group's fear does not necessarily mean that another group has more reason to fear. Usually quite the opposite is true. The more secure one group feels, the less they feel a need to attack other groups. Thus security can actually be a win-win or positive sum game: the more one side has, the more the other side has too. This is true from the bully on the playground...who is usually an insecure child, to the bully in the international system.
Through empathy and understanding, groups in conflict can learn about the fears and needs of others and, in the process, overcome their own fears as well.
[1] Merriam-Webster Online [book on-line] (accessed 7 March 2003); available from http://www.webster.com ; Internet.
[2] Paul Wahrhaftig, Belgrade Combating Fear Project [article on-line] (accessed 11 March 2003); available from http://www.conflictres.org/vol181/belgrade.html ; Internet.
[3] James F. Mattil, What in the Name of God?: Fundamentalism, Fear & Terrorism [article on-line] (accessed 7 March 2003); available from http://www.flashpoints.info/issue-briefings/Analysis%20&%20Commentary/Analysis-Religion-main.htm ; Internet.
[4] Steve Utterwulghe, Rwanda's Protracted Social Conflict: Considering the Subjective Perspective in Conflict Resolution Strategies [article on-line] (accessed 7 March 2003); available from http://www.trinstitute.org/ojpcr/2-3utter.htm ; Internet.
[5] James F. Mattil, What in the Name of God?: Fundamentalism, Fear & Terrorism [article on-line] (accessed 7 March 2003); available from http://www.flashpoints.info/issue-briefings/Analysis%20&%20Commentary/Analysis-Religion-main.htm ; Internet.
[6] Herbert Kelman, "Social-Psychological Dimensions of International Conflict," in Peacemaking in International Conflict: Methods and Techniques, eds. I. William Zartman and J. Lewis Rasmussen (Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1997), 197.
[7] **Endnote missing (will add later).
[8] Herbert Kelman, "Social-Psychological Dimensions of International Conflict," in Peacemaking in International Conflict: Methods and Techniques, eds. I. William Zartman and J. Lewis Rasmussen (Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1997), 199.
[9] Anthony Oberschall, The manipulation of ethnicity: from ethnic cooperation to violence and war in Yugoslavia [article on-line] (accessed 13 March 2003); available from http://www.unc.edu/courses/2002fall/soci/326/039/manipulation-of-ethnicity.pdf ; Internet.
[10] Herbert Kelman, "Social-Psychological Dimensions of International Conflict," in Peacemaking in International Conflict: Methods and Techniques, eds. I. William Zartman and J. Lewis Rasmussen (Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1997), 197.
Use the following to cite this article: Barker, Phil. "Fear." Beyond Intractability . Eds. Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess. Conflict Information Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder. Posted: July 2003 < http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/fear >.
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People’s life is accompanied by an endless variety of feelings, moods, and experiences – you can explore one of them in your fear essay. Most essays on fear describe fear as an emotion that arises in situations of the threat to the biological or social existence of an individual and is aimed at a source of real or imagined danger. Fear essays note that fear varies in a fairly wide range: concern, dread, fear, horror, phobia, etc. If the source of the danger is uncertain or unconscious, people tend to feel anxious – fear essay samples and anxiety essays often study this topic. However, fear can also be very helpful to human survival – it drives us to be cautious and alert. We should learn to contain our fear and not succumb to it. Essay samples below will cover many topics on the rear – give them a read!
Fear in Education Fear is an unpleasant emotion that is brought about by anticipations of change, pain, or harm. Anxiety brings undesirable experiences and feelings at school. Moreover, enrolling in the higher institute of learning poses a significant threat to many students. Sometimes, pursuing a technical course can lead to psychological...
It is normal for many people for most of the people to have performance anxiety when performing speeches or talking in front of small or large audiences. Public speaking is a common fear among the human race, and 75 percent of the population has this fear. We have ways of...
Public Speaking and its Challenges Public speaking is an oratory that involves the art of speaking to a large audience. This form of communication facilitates passing of information to people for education, entertainment, motivate change, and sometimes influence people to change for the better (Coopman & Lull, 2014). However, communicating with...
In the article Fear and adventure tourism in Brazil, the authors have communicated logically, to their audience; people who love adventure, the role of emotions and perceptions experienced during the exploration undertakings, and in the hunt for an ideal stimulation level. The title of the article is clear and concise,...
Public Speaking and Communication Public speaking is an oratory that involves the art of speaking to a large audience. This form of communication facilitates passing of information to people for education, entertainment, motivate change, and sometimes influence to change for the better (Coopman Lull, 2014). However, communicating with a...
Fear of Retaliation, Dependency, and Social Norms Fear of retaliation, dependency on the perpetrator, and social norms are some of the major barriers preventing victims of domestic violence from reporting such incidents. (Payne & Wermeling, 2009, p. 3). The community must be made aware of the significance of reporting such instances...
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Perceptions of Threat: Cultural, Environmental/Physical, and Social Variables While dread is recognized as a feeling brought on by perceived threats and dangers, how each individual views events as threatening or dangerous varies. What then affects and decides whether events are perceived as dangerous? These perceptions are influenced by a number of...
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It is a cross-sectional quantitative study to investigate the utility of birthing fear screening in maternity practice. The research investigates the effects of psychosocial, demographic, and obstetric factors on the birth outcomes of women with varying levels of childbirth anxiety, as well as the benefits of screening women for severe...
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Terrorism is defined as the use of intimidation or violence to instill fear in a society in order to achieve a specific political goal. Terrorist acts by various terrorist organisations target locations of interest and may result in large casualties, primarily among civilians and terrorists themselves. Terrorist groups use various...
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This letter is made to the department in response to a request for information There have been multiple shootings and acts of terrorism in various sections of the country recently. Incidents like the Vegas massacres have instilled dread in the American people while showcasing the country’s weaknesses. Both American citizens and...
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Emotion is a complicated psychophysiological experience that is influenced by our interactions with our surroundings. Positive and negative emotions are both possible. There is also a link between emotions and objects, experiences, social feelings, and self-appraisal sensations. Some emotions, such as love, joy, rage, and fear, are intrinsic. Personal experiences,...
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The moment of fear i will remember forever.
I will never forget that moment in time. It had occurred on a Sunday like any other. The birds had been chirping, the sky was a luminous blue. I had been up on my roof cleaning the gutter. Scrape, brush I did in a regular...
Fear is an emotion or feeling which is felt by humans due to any types of frightening or scary behavior. Fearing for a certain long period of time may cause damage to a person and leads to depression or anxiety perhaps death too. Fear is...
Fear is a strong negative emotion that keeps a person from doing something and also a signal of danger and weakness. It is considered as one of most powerful emotion where it can change the course of action or make a situation seem more unfortunate....
Sitting rather uncomfortably in my seat while facing the painfully bright light piercing from the window, I fidgeted nervously, desperately trying to ignore the gloominess of the situation. I attempted to focus on staying warm in the bitterly frigid row, but as thoughts of certain...
Fear is an unpleasant emotion and it is an emotional response induced by a perceived threat, which causes change in human’s brain and as well as in behavior. Fear can lead to a danger zone were people commits suicide in order to avoid fear. Fear...
Fears can be one’s worst enemy, and it hinders you from progressing. But for those who are willing to fight it, it can serve as a gateway to greatness. If you are able to overcome your fears, it will not only help you to grow...
“All external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure- these things just fall away in the face of death.” This quote by Steve Jobs parallels the ideas depicted by Tim O'Brien about embarrassment in his novel. Not only do most literary characters struggle...
In today’s society, fear plays a huge role and influences many decisions of many people. We see this everywhere, politics, media and even our daily lives. In the article, “3 Roles Fear Plays In Our Lives”, written by Donna Labermeier, fear is talked about as...
Fear is a constant reminder that we are human although it can make us believe we’re not. Both Geraldine Brooks the author of ‘Year of Wonders’ and Arthur Miller author of ‘The Crucible’, explore the effect of fear on the seventeenth century communities. While both...
Fear is a powerful motivator. A naïve, young man named Henry Fleming decides to join the Union army simply for the glory of becoming a Civil War hero. He quickly realizes that war is terrible and struggles with his conscious as to whether-or-not he can...
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