Carter Martin

Lundstrom
HELA 10H Period 6
February 10, 2016
Fear Efficiency
Is Fear Efficient?
All throughout history fear has been used to control the masses, whether it be Egyptians
using the fear of the whip or the British using their naval power to keep the Colonies in line there
has been evidence of its usage everywhere you look. Fear has led to terrible things such as the
Holocaust and the enslavement of thousands of people just because of the difference of skin
color, but as terrible as these things are, one cannot argue with results. These times of terror and
trial are times in which things got done, and nations truly changed instead of trying to ride the
coattails of those that came before. Many have tried to rule over people not through fear but out
of respect and goodwill, but these bonds are easily broken and these types of rules always in
failure at some point. But rulers that used fear to its full extent changed their countries and
shaped the world in a way that they saw fit. Fear is the best way to drive an individual and
collective behavior.
Though many would deny that fear has any role in their lives that is not the case. Fear has
a prominent influence on our behavior, and the way it influences us is through ads. In an article
by Magloff, Lisa it reads, Fear appeals can be used in convincing people to appraise and change
their behavior, such as quitting smoking or not drinking and driving. Some behavior ---change
ads may feature photos of corpses or very strong wording, such as the anti---smoking ads
showing terminal cancer patients and stating "SmokingKills."These types of behavioral appraisal
ads are also used in the nonprofit sector, encouraging people to help save the environment or
help eliminate poverty by giving money to charities. The ads encourage consumers to appraise
and change their behavior regarding charitable giving. Some fear appraisal ads focus on less

well--- defined fears, such as ads for plastic surgery or skin creams that focus on consumers'
fears of looking old. Fear is being used in our advertising all of the time and it is pushing us to
act a certain way. We simply dont notice the usage of fear because we have been so tainted by
its influence. A frog that is put in a pot of cool water does not notice as the temperature slowly
rises to a boil. These subtle uses of fear are prodding us into making decisions that in turn shape
the world around us, such as less people smoking or driving while drunk. The images and
warnings that we have been given lead us to make decisions to avoid these things.
Fear even shows up outside of media in our daily lives. It comes in the form of our
suspicions of the world around us. Such as our fear of terrorist in America, but as a result we
have become more guarded and prepared for an attack. In the article 99% Inspiration by
Secretan, Lance it states, Fear is the dominant experience of our lives. We are afraid of health
risks, suspicious of our business institutions and governments, wary about our neighbors,
nervous about financial insecurity and just plain scared of terrorism, violence and dying. This
points out just a few of the ways that we experience fear in our daily lives. Fear has made us
suspicious of all people who arent us. The differences between people are not being fixed, but
being used to manipulate people and cause gaps in trust.
Some may tried and argue that fear is a terrible way to lead people and has always ended
in meaningless slaughter which in turn made it entirely useless. But the truth is completely
contrary to this. Fear does not always lead to a terrible end in which nothing has changed, but
often times lead to a union of the people. Such as the American Colonies against the British, who
because of the oppression of the British banded together and formed the United States of
America. Fear has an amazing way of unifying people into a common cause committed to
change.

Fear has the power to do both great and terrible things depending upon how it is used to
influence the common people. It is incredibly efficient to use fear even in our homes with
children, as a child that fears its parents will act without question whereas a fearless child must
be bribed consuming precious time and resources. Fear is always the best course of action on one
seeks to bring about change abruptly as it is the most efficient method of bringing about change.