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Do you fight, flight, or freeze?

I learned a long time ago not to judge the way people react in emergency situations (unless it’s a horror movie) because I freeze. It’s like my brain stops working when I need it most. I can take directions I just can’t give them. Any choice that I do make is barely ever the right first choice but it’s usually better than nothing. My mom is a fighter, 100%. She’s like a super hero springing Into action. Her husband I’m sure is usually a fighter but is currently stuck in bed( he was in an accident and has a ton of broken bones including a shattered pelvis) he decided he would just off himself (there was a fire, he would only do it if it got too close).

How do you react?

  • 36 votes
  • 16 votes
  • 6 votes
MoonlitLife 5 June 13
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23 comments

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2

Smile looking them right in the eye. It is the most underused weapon that everyone refuses to acknowledge.

I support non-violence.

@jlynn37 Exactly.

3

I'm a fighter, too. Always have been. By nature I wasn't a fighter, but single parenting two small kids from the time I was 23 forced me to learn. We age and we grow.

Deb57 Level 8 June 13, 2018

I would think that you learned to negotiate by whatever means were available which is very difficult and time consuming. I took the post to be a confrontational situation where you are caught off guard in expectantly which can cause the three categories that I did not vote on and made the simple comment to which I know has worked for me.

4

I have to admit I have done all three (not necessarily at the same time)..........

Me too.

3

It varies. If there is a horrible accident, blood everywhere, people freaking out....I am the guy. I can stay completely calm, stop the bleeding, calm the hysterical, you name it. I almost go into machine mode. Really, nothing shakes me out of calm-focused-help-get-shit-done mode.

Afterwards? Tears and shakes, realizing the pain, death, etc that just took place.

Me too, weird isn’t it. Like instinct puts you into calm leadership for the moment, and after the stress is released.

3

All 3. I fight if I can/deem it warranted, flee if I can’t/won’t fight over the issue, and if something both so big n fast had it out for me that neither would matter I’d probably just freeze in terror. Thankfully had very few occasions where fight or flight kicked in and was able to fight or flee as I deemed appropriate in those situations.

1

I mostly avoid.

1

Very quick assessment then flight if at all possible otherwise fight like a demon until you can get away.

JayTea Level 6 June 13, 2018
2

Well, the obvious thing is...if you can't fix it....get the HELL away from it and take anyone else who's there along with you!

2

I was raised to always be a fighter. Even as a child my parents taught me to always face my fears and to never freeze when the situation is dire. Unforeseen consequences of inaction and hindsight can easily work together to destroy a person's self-esteem. I would rather Act than not act and somebody be hurt because of my inaction

1

I run!!!

Ryksie Level 6 June 13, 2018
1

I'm a fighter.

1

I have some date stories about this tendency of mine interrupting the ambience and pretty much killing the date.

1

All of the above, depending on the circumstances.

1.When I first hear a loud, suspicious noise, I usually don't react, but sort of freeze and look around to ascertain the threat and its location.

Example: I often hear loud explosions and loud gunfire at night, here in Songkhla, but I know there are Thai police around, and all Thai carry a cellphone to call for help, so I go back to sleep.

2.If the threat involves me directly, I hide, run behind a barrier, do what it takes to avoid it.

Example: a man with a gun ran into my college writing class classroom in 1970, knocked down the teacher, began firing the gun. I dropped low, and was out the door in a flash, but then realized the gunshot sounds were from blanks, and returned to class.

It was just a stunt, prearranged by the teacher to see if students could remember details after observing a crime. The other students laughed at me for running, but none of them had moved..easy targets, if the gunman had been real.

3.If it's personal and confrontational, I attack.

Example: when I leaped into an elephant's face that was goring a child at a circus and shook my purse at it. I startled the elephant into withdrawing slightly, and I was able to force the child to get up and run beyond the reach of the elephant's tether chain.

0

I pity the fool...

0

I don't allow me to be polled by strangers.

1

Emergency situations vary. I act if it's someone else's life or safety is at stake. Usually I tend to be extremely can and reserved sitting the event, but it seems that I process it later. If I'm the target of a danger from another person I either run or disassociate. If the danger is more of a circumstance i fight until the end. Old habits die hard.

1

It depends on the situation and my options. I work personal security on the side. In that roll options are totally different.

4

In the moment of crisis I am acting on instinct with weird calmness and have even directed traffic spontaneously! However after that, when my action is over, I am like jelly!

Livia Level 6 June 13, 2018
3

I'm too old to fight or run. I play dead. ?

2

Almost always fight, but if I'm at work I tend to freeze simply because my mind registers that I'm in a place where fighting isn't okay

0

I do all three simultaneously. split into teams of id, ego and superego.

0

In an emergency situation I react and take charge, it is literally an automatic response, I don't even consider that there are other options. The thing is that I am not a fighter I am a resolver.

0

I do what the situation calls for me to make my life easier. In some cases fight is the only option that seems to be the resolution and others walking away is much easier.

I rarely panic so I can't even blame bad decisions on that...fully rationalized bad decisions

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