Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Workplace violence issues
Violence in the workplace and low morale
Workplace violence
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Workplace violence issues
The central message of de Becker's 'Gift of Fear', a thought provoking and engrossing book, is that in just about every case of seemingly 'random' extreme violence, whether it be attack from a co-worker or a spouse, the violence could have been predicted hours, days, months and even years in advance. Violence is predictable, says de Becker, when we learn to trust the fear instinct and read the signals of incipient aggression. Fear is not the same as anxiety or neurosis. It is an instinct of the mind, not a distortion, and de Becker claims you can develop your instinct for fear.
Although the book is heavily weighted towards American culture, the themes of dangerous obsession and violence are universal and timeless. The spread of gun and knife culture in the UK means that a read of this book is recommended to
…show more content…
They may distrust the fear or rationalize it away, or it may get them to take action to avoid harm and save their own and other people's lives.
De Becker is an internationally recognized authority on picking up the signals and signs that someone will become violent. A person may 'explode', but the fuse is lit long before actual harm occurs. This is especially so for those who murder.
The Gift of Fear is full of case histories of stalkers who turned violent and co-workers who went berserk. He convincingly highlights how these tragedies could have been averted had the signs (which clearly were there) been picked up and then acted upon.
The book also explains how to identify warning signs of potential attack. There are strategies for dealing with those may become violent.
De Becker says: "People don't just 'snap' and become violent. There is a process as observable, and often as predictable, as water coming to a boil." Gaining the knowledge to predict violence is the best way, of course, of preventing and avoiding
Geoffrey Canada, the author of Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun; A Personal History of Violence, grew up and worked his entire life near or in the underclass society. Through his keen observation on behavior of children in these regions, he has noticed how with the introduction to guns, in particular to children created even more dangerous neighborhoods. Throughout his lifetime in New York, he tells us that violence has changed to be less organized and the social stability of the children is tested with (fire) power that they are too young to fully understand, it was an evolutionary decent. His observations on the violence that children can commit to each other parallels well with fictional story Lord of the Flies written by Nobel prize winning writer, William Golding. Golding, like Canada, looks what kind of environment is needed for violence to prevail in children. Although Golding’s 1954 book Lord of the Flies is fiction, it describes our current impoverished America’s epidemic on violence very well.
As mentioned earlier I would start my discussion with a very prominent emotion called Anger. Anger is defined as a person’s response to a threat or the perception of a threat against an individual or group. Anger is an emotion that is often difficult to control because of the intense physiological reactions involved in the fight or flight response that triggers anger. The fight response is a response triggered naturally by the body to protect itself against the instigating situation (Lazarus, 1991). In the novel The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald narrates two important incidents that stand as a fine example for expressing anger with violence i.e., 1) Tom hits Myrtle 2) Wilson kills Jay Gatsby.
predict or control the violence that they sink into a state of psychological paralysis and become
As typical human beings we all want to know why someone could randomly take the lives of several innocent people all at one time. It is frightening and scientists figure if they can figure out why, then it can be prevented in the future. The documentary, Mind of a Rampage Killer, tries to solve the mystery and really dive deep into the minds of people who could potentially create such a horrifying situation. Through the use of ethos, logos, and pathos, this documentary concludes that every killer had something in common; they all struggled with mental disorders, depression, or outbursts of violence, all stemming from early childhood or an internal battle throughout growing up, some could have even just been born with a violent rage.
Imagine yourself going out to a neighborhood party trying to relax after a stressful week. You might want to socialize, drink, or watch television. Now try to think about the penalties that can occur when the party gets out of control such as loud outbursts, fighting, and physical behavior. Depending on the setting of the party, there could be a possible chance of violence happening. In this case, the violent actions can result to homicides, shootings, and suicides. Homicides can vary based on age, gender, race, and methods of killing the victim. Shootings are quick reactions to dealing with victim. Suicides result to choosing to kill one’s life. Overall, there are different reasons to why individuals feel the need to kill someone else. It
A simple definition of the human psyche is the embodiment of the human spirit. However, when one takes a more in-depth look, it becomes much more complex than the tidy little package that the definition would infer. The psyche has a direct link to thoughts, emotions, reactions and consequences. Of these components, emotions have the most significant impact on the human essence. The way in which humans view and react to the world around them is directly linked to the conscious and subconscious feelings associated with a particular activating event. The human psyche is driven by a wide variety of emotions ranging from love, hate, anger, happiness, fear, and courage to name but only a few. Of these, fear has the power to disrupt the body and spirit in profound ways as it encompasses all emotions. Therefore, it is the strongest emotion associated with the human condition.
It is interestingly sad how debates on gun violence and gun control is being handled in our society by our top leaders and lobbyist. Gun control has become a serious issue and a national epidemic, however, the debate is far from over. In the article “under the gun” by writers Rottenberg, Rice and Franich, for entertainment weekly, the writers discussed the failing of gun control laws and the increase in gun violence. By setting sides of their argument, the writers discussed violence in movies, TVs and videogames and how this violence impact our society, thus allowing their audience to decide for themselves.
Violence in all of its manifestations is based on an exercise of power. It represents a means to gain power, to maintain power, or as a response to a threat to one's power. As long as a society maintains the legitimacy of social hierarchies, of the right of some people to have power over others, there will be violence. One can either seek to diffuse the concentration of power or to control violence. By its very character, the attempt to control violence is self-defeating. The control will itself become violent.
In The Brothers Karamazov Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “…fear is simply the consequence of every lie.” Dostoevsky is stating how people are afraid of what will happen when their lie(s) is/are put out in the open. Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined. This line suggests that people are afraid of the truth, which inevitably is the consequence of every lie. Even though this quote was written by a 19th century author it can still relate to texts that were made centuries prior. Both Sophocles and Shakespeare’s plays support Dostoevky because both plays deal with the act of lying and its consequences as a major motif.
“At the University of California at Irvine, experiments in rats indicate that the brain’s hormonal reaction to fear can be inhibited, softening the formation of memories and the emotions they evoke” (Baard).
The Dangers of Fear Irish Playwright, George Bernard Shaw, once said, “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity.” Inhumanity is mankind’s worst attribute. Every so often, ordinary humans are driven to the point where they have no choice but to think of themselves. One of the most famous examples used today is the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night demonstrates how fear is a debilitating force that causes people to lose sight of who they once were.
In the words of Bertrand Russell, “Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom” (Russell). Fear causes many problems in our lives. Fear influences many of a person’s actions and decisions. However, people usually regret the decisions or actions they made out of fear. Also, these actions and decisions can cause problems for those people in their future. Fear is a harmful emotion, for it clouds people’s judgement, disables them from taking action, and causes them to make decisions that they will regret later.
“Primal Fear” (1996) is a masterfully crafted film based on the novel written by William Diehl. Aaron Stampler (the main character) was on trial for the murder of an archbishop. He cunningly convinces his psychiatrist as well as his defense attorney (Martin Vail) that he suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder. Stampler then plead for insanity successfully and was transferred to a mental institution for “help”. In the end, the audience shockingly discovers that Stampler had been lying the entire time about his alter ego; he manipulated everyone and clawed his way to freedom. “Primal Fear” provides excellent insight into psychopathy and contains subconscious themes the writer projects through the actions of the main characters.
"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop and look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, '...I can take the next thing that comes along.'...You must do the thing you think you cannot do (Eleanor Roosevelt)." Every time I read these words, I am able to see the truth in them. College to me is the next step that I must take in life. Although this next step comes with much trepidation and apprehension, it is a necessary step that I must take to forever better and prepare myself for the life that I wish to lead. State University would be one of the best institutions for this, just as the choice of high school I made four years ago, Good Counsel, was the next step for me then. During high school, I have grown and changed through not only the education I have gained, but also through the activities I participated in. I have gained a lot of strengths from my time spent in high school. Although every weakness has not been erased, the next step in life will ease their numbers even more.
Fear of victimization is an emotional feeling and perceived risk is a cognitive behavior, which is the result of potential victimization (Alper & Chappell, 2012). This sort of victimization can be in media form or person to person contact. In environmental settings it can be related to age, gender, and socioeconomic statues. All of which plays important roles in the idea of victimization. News can make one to feel more likely of victimization and fear (Kohm et al., 2012).