When ‘Flight or Fight’ – an essential human response becomes self destructive By Shehan Williams View(s): View(s):As Sri Lanka struggles to come to terms with the senseless attacks on Sunday, April 21, it is important that we are aware of the pitfalls in our response to this tragedy. It provokes fear and anxiety, the most basic and primitive response of all living beings programmed for self-preservation. The mind and the body activate the physiological ‘flight or fight’ response to safeguard itself and respond to the real or perceived threat. However, as with most bodily responses, an excessive or prolonged activation of this response can eventually be self-destructive. When fear takes over, it does not rationalise or stop to think.

Source: Sunday Times April 27, 2019 20:00 UTC