20 Don’t Let A nxiety Run Your Life
is what people mean by the “fight- or- f light” response, in
which you either confront the danger or f lee to safety. These
action tendencies enable you to respond adaptively to various
situations and help you achieve the best outcomes possible
under the conditions. For instance, you might determine
that the snake is poisonous and that you need to get away.
Your fear is like an alarm or warning system for your body.
Confronting a true danger, such as a poisonous snake, leaves
no time for long, drawn- out deliberation to determine your
course of action. You need to react immediately and in a
manner that preserves your own welfare. Emotions can
stimulate quick and efficient action.
Finally, you might feel inclined to communicate your
emotional experience and intentions to others. For instance,
you might tell your friends that everyone should immedi-
ately run from the snake to avoid harm. Or perhaps you
might communicate your intention to defend yourself and
confront the threat. Such emotional expression, whether
verbal or nonverbal, often facilitates and accompanies the
action tendency itself. The importance of identifying emo-
tions and relating them to others is evident from an evolu-
tionary perspective. Humans are community- oriented
creatures that value emotional expression and communica-
tion. Such behaviors foster a greater sense of cohesion and
provide others with valuable information regarding the sur-
rounding environment. Thus, emotions ultimately help you
and those around you survive and succeed.
The component process model works with just about any
type of emotion. No doubt you can easily conceive of how
your appraisal of a situation might lead you to feel sadness or
happiness and how that sadness or happiness might direct
your behavioral responses to help you accomplish relevant