7 Minutes ✧ Syndisparklez

Fight Or Flight

~~A Fun Definition~~
Fight or Flight
1. the instinctive physiological response to a threatening situation, which readies one either to resist forcibly or to run away.

When forced into a position with potential danger, we, as humans, must ask ourselves a question. Fight or flight?

Those of us who are brave enough, will choose fight. We will throw our fists, scream out loud. Fighters will do anything to defeat their foe.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are those of us who are cowards. We quiver in the face of fear, submitting to what it wants. Power. We give it the power it wants, by rushing the opposite direction, procrastinating our own final demise.

It's odd how many of us would rather run. Perhaps, as we evolved, we were taught to discriminate against violence, therefore eliminating the fight response from our options. However, it's still there. Very much so. We just have to be placed under the right set of circumstances.

What kind of circumstances might that be? Well for starters, many of us have to face fight or flight in stressful situations. Presenting a project to the whole class? Fight or flight. Going to a haunted house? Fight or flight. Boss yelling at you for not filing your forms fast enough? Fight or flight.

In all these situations, we'd choose flight. You couldn't very well fight your teacher to prevent presenting an assignment. It would be unlawful to fight a paid actor in a Halloween Attraction. It is rather counter productive to fight your own boss, for that would only worsen your situation.

We have been programmed to choose flight, for there is no reason to choose fight anymore. That is, if you're not in my situation.

~~Some Background~~
A news broadcast is currently explaining how two very dangerous inmates have escaped the Walloon Parliament. People will lock their doors and close their curtains after hearing about Oliver Thompson (a convicted felon, charged for domestic violence, should have served up to 5 years in prison) and James Hayes (a kidnapper, facing Class A and Class B felonies in court, with convictions including aggravated sexual assault 1st degree, assault 1st degree, kidnapping 1st degree, and possession of an assault weapon. With all of these convictions, Hayes would have only spent 35 years in prison.)

That certainly amazed me. How short these men's sentences were. 5 years for domestic violence and 35 for kidnapping, and that's the maximum. With good behavior, their sentences could have been sliced in half. That is, if they didn't escape.

With their escape, Oliver only had to spend 2 of his 5 years in prison, and Mr. Hayes didn't serve a single day.

Clever of Mr. Hayes, really. To have acquainted himself with someone who knew their way around the prison, who wanted to escape to get revenge on their own victim as well. It was truly dumb luck the felon's victims not only knew each other, but were close friends.

Just imagine, hearing the words flood into your ears that your past abuser had just escaped from prison. That's quite the situation.

Fight or flight?

~~Fun Fact~~
I used to choose flight.