Critique of the Gift of Fear Book by Gavin de Becker
This book is about common sense when it comes to protecting oneself. Unfortunately, it seems according to the author at least when it comes to violence common sense is not that common. The core of this book is about using your intuition. If you feel something “ain’t” right assume it is not right. Humans, like all thinking animals, have learned to perceive and act. The humans being are the top of the food chain regarding this this bility to perceive. Unfortunately, for humans, we have the ability to use judgment. This is our downfall when it comes to perception. A typical example would be a woman who is asked by a passing stranger when bringing in groceries if he can assist …show more content…
It runs the gambit from the street to the home to dating to school and even to the workplace. This means that women must constantly be alert to the possibility of violence. Sadly, violence can happen at any time because it is not really random at all which is one of the commonly-held myths about violence. Sadly, all humans are capable of becoming perpetrators of violence even children. The reality is that would-be-attackers look for the ease of the target. Women have to be careful not to appear to be an easy target. This is one of the best ways to preclude acts of violence against …show more content…
Rule Number 1 is just because you fear something does not mean that the violent act in not in the process of occurring. Rule Number 2 is a little more difficult to grasp. But, it provides that the things of which you think you are afraid are simply links to what you really fear. This rule originally seemed counterintuitive to this writer. This required a little deeper thought that the obvious logic of the first rule. The possible example that this writer to was able to think of that made sense to her was every woman fears rape but perhaps the rape is actually a link to her real fear which is the fear of the “Scarlet Letter” that it places on the victim in the eyes of her family and society. Perhaps this link could be different for each person faced with fear of a violent
This book is about common sense when it comes to protecting oneself. Unfortunately, it seems according to the author at least when it comes to violence common sense is not that common. The core of this book is about using your intuition. If you feel something “ain’t” right assume it is not right. Humans, like all thinking animals, have learned to perceive and act. The humans being are the top of the food chain regarding this this bility to perceive. Unfortunately, for humans, we have the ability to use judgment. This is our downfall when it comes to perception. A typical example would be a woman who is asked by a passing stranger when bringing in groceries if he can assist …show more content…
It runs the gambit from the street to the home to dating to school and even to the workplace. This means that women must constantly be alert to the possibility of violence. Sadly, violence can happen at any time because it is not really random at all which is one of the commonly-held myths about violence. Sadly, all humans are capable of becoming perpetrators of violence even children. The reality is that would-be-attackers look for the ease of the target. Women have to be careful not to appear to be an easy target. This is one of the best ways to preclude acts of violence against …show more content…
Rule Number 1 is just because you fear something does not mean that the violent act in not in the process of occurring. Rule Number 2 is a little more difficult to grasp. But, it provides that the things of which you think you are afraid are simply links to what you really fear. This rule originally seemed counterintuitive to this writer. This required a little deeper thought that the obvious logic of the first rule. The possible example that this writer to was able to think of that made sense to her was every woman fears rape but perhaps the rape is actually a link to her real fear which is the fear of the “Scarlet Letter” that it places on the victim in the eyes of her family and society. Perhaps this link could be different for each person faced with fear of a violent