The Evolution of Negative Emotion

The Evolution of Negative Emotion
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Introduction
Scientists, academics, and philosophers have been fascinated by the evolutionary origins of human emotion for centuries. Emotions became crucial mechanisms that helped organisms adapt to changing environments and survive and reproduce. Considerably, emotions such as fear served as powerful indicators that guided the actions of our predecessors when confronted with imminent threats. The insights into human nature and behavior can be gained by examining the evolutionary function of fear, its classification as an adaptation instead of a by-product, and its consequences in the modern world.
Fear: A Negative Emotion
Fear, a strong "negative" emotion, developed as a response to our ancestors' adaptive problems in the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness (EEA). Survival amidst various threats, including hostile tribes, predatory animals, and environmental dangers, was the main challenge during the EEA. This intense feeling of fear served as a crucial alarm system, prompting a swift reaction in our predecessors. Fear triggers a "fight or flight" reaction when they encounter immediate threats, enabling them to deal with or avoid these dangers. In the EEA, the critical evolutionary theory of reproductive success was directly correlated with survival. When individuals successfully avoided risks, they increased their lifespan, improving the likelihood of reproducing and transmitting their genetic material. Fofana et al. (2020) thoroughly explored the current expressions of fear, analyzing the various reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, a comparison was made between modern-day fear of an invisible viral threat and ancestors' fear of natural predators. Besides, Chen, Liu, and Zhao (2020) examined the impact of fear on financial behaviors, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 era. Hence, fear significantly impacts modern human actions like financial decisions. Therefore, the historical record shows that people have acted to reduce severe threats out of fear. This initial response, honed over countless generations, played a crucial role in helping our predecessors overcome the obstacles they encountered, ensuring their ability to survive and pass on their genes.
Evidence for the Evolutionary Adaptation of Fear
The idea that fear is an evolutionary adaptation rather than a mere by-product is supported by much evidence from empirical research and the efficient way it has been designed. The instantaneous induction of behavioral responses like "fight or flight" in the context of threats is the initial indication that the practical design of fear for its hypothesized function can be seen. This suggests a system carefully developed over thousands of years to protect individuals from focused risks. Fofana et al. (2020) focus on the fact that fear responses are universal across different modern contexts, such as responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, lending credence to this idea. This feeling is deeply ingrained because people worldwide reacted differently to the virus, with increased caution, vigilance, and behavioral change. The universal presence of fear in...