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The Unasked Question of Terrorism: Fear and the Fear of Fear

This primitive brain...snaps us into the fight-or-flight reflex. That reflexive reaction to danger has great survival value when you’re trying to escape from a saber-toothed tiger or when you are trying to bring down a mastodon to feed your clan. But the primitive brain isn’t so helpful when you’re in the middle of a tense conflict with your spouse or negotiating with a high-strung teenager. Or dealing with terrorists . . .