This is emergency preparedness at its best. However, this can also be emergency preparedness at its worst. Two Human Tendencies. Physiologically, humans are equipped with much the same mechanisms as animals to cope with threats to survival. Two main factors, however, unfortunately distinguish us from animals.
Threat is in the eye of the beholder.
For example, the mere thought or image of running into a grizzly bear while picnicking, or running a stop light while driving, may cause us to mobilize for defensive action as if the threat were an actual reality. In humans, responding intensely to threats that we mistakenly perceive to be imminent are called panic attacks. Chronic Stress Reaction. Second, whereas animals often deal with threats by actually fighting or fleeing, we often cannot. So, while we try to enforce a state of outward calm when stressed, inwardly our mind and body are busily preparing for emergency responding.