Fear — The ultimate mind control device.

Oh, fear. Isn’t it fun? It’s like a built-in human alarm system that was really useful when we needed to outrun wild animals. Fast forward to today, and suddenly that same survival mechanism is being used to convince you that the world is ending every five minutes—or that your neighbor might secretly be plotting world domination because they didn't wave back this morning. Welcome to the world of mass hysteria, where fear isn’t just an emotion; it’s a full-on control device.

As a therapist (and a proud, free thinker), I’ve seen how fear can hijack our brains, push us into irrational decisions, and leave us thinking “Wait, why did I agree to that again?” Spoiler alert: it’s because we weren’t thinking clearly in the first place. Let’s talk about how fear has been used to control entire populations (yes, really), the psychology behind why fear is so powerful, and how you can stop it from controlling you.

A Brief History of Fear and Control

(with a Side of "How Did That Even Happen?")

The Salem Witch Trials: A Real-Life Horror Movie (But with Less Logic)

Back in the 1600s, when people were terrified of pretty much everything, a few young girls in Salem, Massachusetts decided to spice things up by accusing neighbors of witchcraft. That quickly escalated into a full-blown panic, with people getting hanged because someone’s cow wandered off.

Let’s be real here—if people had just taken a breath and maybe, I don’t know, asked a few more questions before lighting the bonfires, they would’ve realized that no one was casting evil spells. But fear makes it hard to think straight. In fact, studies show that when we’re afraid, our brains actually lose the capacity for critical thinking, shifting into a more primal, fight-or-flight mode.

One famous experiment that highlights this is Stanley Milgram’s Obedience Experiment (1961), which showed how people obey authority figures when fear (or stress) is involved. Participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to another person, even when they believed they were causing harm. Why? Because fear of disobedience or conflict with authority kicked in, overriding their moral judgment.

Nazi Germany:

When Fear Became a National Policy
Hitler’s rise to power wasn’t some magical feat of evil genius; it was fear-fueled manipulation at its finest. After World War I, Germany was struggling—big time. People were scared. Cue Hitler, who offered an easy solution to their fears: blame the Jews. It was a fear-based propaganda campaign that convinced an entire nation to go along with policies that led to some of the worst atrocities in history.

Here, Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory comes into play. Bandura demonstrated through his famous Bobo Doll Experiment (1961) that people—especially children—learn behaviors by watching others. In Nazi Germany, widespread propaganda acted similarly. People “learned” fear and hatred by observing it in others around them, allowing fear to spread like wildfire. Fear was not only taught but also reinforced in society, creating an environment where groupthink thrived, and questioning authority became dangerous.

McCarthyism: The Original "Cancel Culture"

You thought social media cancel culture was bad? Imagine living in the 1950s, when just being suspected of communist leanings could ruin your entire life. During the Red Scare, Senator Joseph McCarthy whipped up a frenzy about the threat of communism lurking behind every corner, and before you knew it, people were getting blacklisted left and right.

This is where Solomon Asch’s Conformity Experiment (1951) becomes relevant. In this study, participants were asked to make simple judgments about line lengths but were surrounded by others who gave obviously wrong answers. Surprisingly, about one-third of the participants conformed to the group, even though they knew the group was wrong. Fear of standing out or going against the grain pushed them to conform.

During the Red Scare, fear of being different or seen as disloyal caused many people to go along with the mass hysteria. No one wanted to be accused of communist sympathies, so they stayed quiet or, worse, joined the frenzy of accusations, even when they knew it was wrong.

COVID-19: The Global Panic Button

Now, I’m not saying the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t serious (don’t come at me— keyboard warriors) but the way fear was used was like pouring gasoline on a fire. We were all glued to the news, washing our groceries (thanks for that, 2020), and convinced that the world as we knew it was over. We were told to call in and tell on our neighbors for having more than a few people over for Thanksgiving and Christmas…and people did it… they actually did.

This leads us to Daniel Kahneman’s "Thinking, Fast and Slow" theory. Kahneman explains that we have two modes of thinking: "System 1" (fast, automatic, emotional thinking) and "System 2" (slow, deliberate, logical thinking). In times of fear, we default to System 1, making quick, gut-based decisions, often driven by panic rather than reason.

During COVID, the flood of information (and misinformation) triggered System 1 responses, leading to panic buying, mass vaccinations, mass compliance without question, and even social division. When fear takes over, our brains aren’t processing things rationally; we’re simply reacting. And that’s when fear becomes an easy tool for control.

How to Think (and Breathe) When Fear is Running the Show

So, what do all these historical freakouts have in common? They show us that fear turns our brains into pudding, making us easy to control. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to be part of the scared herd. There are ways to shield yourself from fear-based manipulation and make decisions that align with logic, reason, and—oh yeah—your actual values.

Don’t Make Decisions When You’re Freaking Out

This is the golden rule. Fearful decisions are rarely good decisions. When you’re in a state of panic, your brain’s “fight or flight” mode kicks in, and that higher-level thinking you normally rely on? Yeah, it’s on a coffee break. Fear narrows your focus to survival, which is great if you're running from a tiger, but not so helpful when you're deciding how to respond to a global pandemic or an ominous political speech.

So, here’s a radical idea: when you feel that familiar panic rising—whether it’s because of a news story, a politician’s warning, or just some good old-fashioned fearmongering—pause. Take a breath. Ask yourself: “Am I reacting out of fear, or am I thinking this through?” If the answer is fear, wait. Decision-making is much more effective when you’re calm and grounded. Trust me on this one.

Beware of the “Us vs. Them” Mentality
Fear loves to divide. You’ll notice that in every example above, fear-based control almost always creates an “enemy” for people to rally against. It’s witches, it’s communists, it’s the other political party, it’s your neighbors with different beliefs—whoever "they" are, they’re the threat, and “we” need to protect ourselves from them.

When you hear rhetoric that pits groups against each other, alarms should go off in your head. Fear thrives in division, so be skeptical of anyone trying to convince you that a certain group is the enemy and you need to be afraid.

Take a Media Detox (Seriously)
If you’ve ever felt like the world is ending because you’ve spent two hours scrolling through news apps, I see you. The 24/7 news cycle has a way of inflating fears and feeding hysteria. The more we consume, the more we feel like everything is a crisis, and we need to act right now. Spoiler: you don’t.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your mental health—and your ability to think independently—is to step away from the news. Go outside, breathe, and remind yourself that not every piece of bad news requires immediate action. Fear fades when you give yourself space to think.

Practice Calm Decision-Making
When it comes down to it, learning to make decisions when you’re calm is like building a mental superpower. You know those moments when you’re about to react to something because it’s triggering fear, anxiety, or anger? Pause. Reflect. Ask yourself if you’re reacting out of fear or out of clear-headed thinking.

Once you learn to separate fear from action, you’ll not only make better decisions—you’ll become pretty much immune to fear-based manipulation. (Bonus: your brain will thank you.)

Be Brave Enough to Pause

Look, fear isn’t going anywhere—it’s hardwired into our brains. But just because fear exists doesn’t mean it has to run the show. Whether it’s media, politicians, or even your own overactive imagination, fear will try to push you into decisions that might not be in your best interest.

So here’s the takeaway: when fear kicks in, don’t kick into action.

Pause.

Breathe.

And remind yourself that the best decisions come from a place of calm, not from a place of panic.

The world may be scary sometimes, but your brain is a pretty powerful thing when you let it think without fear running the show.

Be calm, be brave, and most importantly—be a thinker, not just a reactor.