The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence

Throughout The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence, Gavin de Becker stresses the importance of recognizing true fear as rare. It is a reliable response honed by evolution, triggered in the presence of true danger. As shown in the title his book, de Becker venerates fear, identifying it as an asset and source of comfort. He wants the reader to understand that fear does not require pause, evaluation, and weighing of options. Fear guides, which is why he does not address how to engage or outwit an attacker. Instructions fail to appropriately or effectively address potentially violent scenarios, and often become inaccessible or irrelevant in the moment of violence. Fear is easily discernable from other biological responses and assumes control when necessary.

de Becker also stresses the importance of rejecting Western culture’s devaluation of intuition. Intuition is often cast as frivolous and therefore unreliable, with those who give it credence being seen as overly anxious. In Western culture, logic is required to gain respect—however, de Becker argues intuition is more credible than skepticism. Intuition, like fear, is grounded in subconscious processing of data. While this sense must be trusted, de Becker does not advocate obedience without reflection: Intuition alerts and unnerves to the point of curiosity, and he guides the reader through the process of assessing it and identifying how to proceed in various situations.