A Few Quick Facts: About Fear

by Zack Schwartz

PRIVATE
SNAFU

A Few
Quick Facts

U.P.A.
Zack Schwartz—1945

about FEAR

U.P.A.
Zack Schwartz—1945

If we have to believe the story books, those where the good old days when men really where brave—

—then the world was inhabited by a fearless breed of men, men afraid of absolutely nothing.

That's right! Absolutely nothing!

Absolutely nothing?

Absolutely!

Well—uh—practically nothing!

Yes, ever since the world began, men have been scared.

The brave knights of old had the same cold beads of perspiration—

—their hair stood on end—

—their palms got clamming—

—their hearts pound—

—their stomachs flopped and bounced—

—frightened and they got heated too, being normal human beings.

Scared man has automatically his fear machine which starts running—

danger DANGER danger DANGER danger

—wakes him up all over and prepares him to recognize the danger.

Nerves go into action and wake up a couple of glands.

The glands come through with a shot of adrenaline—

—and all hell breaks through!

But it all makes sense.

Nerves cells get after.

You see more clearly—

—you hear more keenly—

—muscles tense—

—your body is ready to act and acts at.

But to active top speed calls for extra energy.

That's where the liver comes in: this is the fuel tank.

The fuel is sugar, and here's where it's stored.

Getting scared gets it out, out to the bloodstream to your muscles that needed.

To get it there quicker, your hearts pomp faster, and your breathe harder—

—bringing more oxygen to change that sugar into strength.

And here we are. Scared, yes, but ready!

Ready either to get away from the danger, or stay and fight with extra strength.

That's the best thing about this: you can make it work for you, instead of against you.