Fear: Cultural Perceptions

Is fear expressed in the same ways across cultures? Do all cultures consider the same things frightening? 

These questions can’t be answered in a short post, but here are a few thoughts pulled from the free internet.

How is Fear Expressed?

• Becoming stoic or unexpressive
• Crying
• Giggling 
• Screaming

What is Frightening?

• The boogeyman (by whatever name it is known)
• Falling, especially unexpectedly
• Ghosts or other sentient remnants of dead people
• Possession by supernatural beings
• Something rushing straight at you
• Supernatural beings
• What might be in the dark, but you don’t know if it’s there because you can’t see it

I found it surprising that I found so little about the cultural differences or similarities in fear. 

• How is fear expressed differently in different cultures?
• How do people from different cultures think about and talk about fear?
• What are the social norms around fear (e.g. show it or hide it)?
• Is fear as entertainment more acceptable in some countries than in others?

I thought these were the type of questions the internet would love to answer. I was wrong. 

My search results primarily talked about cultures of fear. I also didn’t want to spend hours trying different search parameters, so it could be that I stopped looking before discovering the winning search phrases. 

I’m sure something that addresses these questions exists somewhere, but for these short posts, I try to stick with things anyone could access on the open web.

Selected Sources

“A Look at Culture-Specific Phobias” by Lisa Fritscher on Very Well Mind; Accessed 2023, September 15.

“Towards an Anthropology of Fear: are some things universally terrifying?” on Human Relations Area Files; Accessed 2023, September 15.

“We’re All Scared of the Same Things…or Are We? Emotional Differences Across Cultures” by David Livermore, PhD on Cultural Intelligence Center; Accessed 2023, September 15.

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