Is fear the most effective motivator? We all know what fear is, what it feels like to be paralyzed by something you are terrified of or the feeling of anxiety you get just by thinking of something gruesome. We see many examples of governments oppression over their citizens either through military power, another way to control a population is by using fear to shape their way of life is through the religion involved in the society. Essentially placing fear on to someone creates a threat that will make the person think twice before doing something. Exploring all of the ways this method of fear works and looking at the areas in which it fails to work.
Dictatorships in countries like North Korea and a few others around the world use their military power and cruel laws to make the citizens fearful of even thinking of committing a crime because them and their future and or past generations will be punished for their crimes too. Fear being the main way this government stays in absolute power.
Another example of this type of country is Cuba it being a communist power and having been run by the same Castro family for the past 60 years since the Cuban revolution, Cuba's communist party controls every from propaganda and radio shows that may occur on the island off the shore of Florida. People here aren't allowed to speak up against the party without facing serious consequences. The way all of these tie into the fact that fear is an effective motivator is that these leaders are unquestioned in their own perspective country and if they are the person will be punished severely. I'm not defending or saying that what the governments of these countries are doing is by no means OK. But its to prove my point of how people can exploit human nature to benefit themselves with power and wealth.
Another big way fear is projected into society is through religion or certain aspects for example if you do something bad you will receive eternal damnation for your actions that you commit during your life, well that's at least in my personal experience with the religion. In olden times the Catholic church held lots of power and authority over monarchs since church came from God, or that's what they believe.
The whole psychological side of placing fear on to someone in order for them to do your bidding is shivering in my opinion. It doesn't have to be something really bad but even something you have in your every day, for example, your parents threatening to take away your video game console or phone if you don't take out the garbage. Fear isn't necessarily a bad thing because it's a survival instinct which has been passed down for generations through our primal nature. In movies fear is usually overcome by hope, the hope for something better after you endure this frightful event and to find something better and away from what you fear. I believe fear falls apart when people have hope for a new beginning or something better especially in the countries mentioned before, and the hope for a better future is what makes us all stronger. Making us surpass fear.
