Fight or Flight - Sketchplanations
Fight-or-flight psychology, coined by physiologist Walter Cannon in 1915, is only part of a broader spectrum of acute stress responses. A more accurate sequence we experience may be freeze, flight, fight, or fright.
Freeze: Our immediate reaction to danger might be to “stop, look, listen,” remaining hyper-vigilant while we assess the threat, and perhaps hope by not moving, the dinosaur won’t spot us.
Flight: We may flee the situation to safety.
Fight: If escape isn’t possible, we might fight back, as shown by the brave individual in the tiger photo.
Fright: This might include panic and immobility, playing dead in case a predator decides we’re not worth eating after all.