What do we talk about when we talk about fear?

BarcelonaAssassination attempt on Trump. New Israeli bombing of Gaza. Russian drones fly over Poland. Fear. Vox says jobs are out of control. Sánchez calls for a vote to prevent the far right from taking power. Ayuso maintains that migrant minors are becoming more aggressive every day. Fear, fear, fear. The CPI has risen 26% in 10 years. Rent in Barcelona is now, on average, more than 1,100 euros. Fear. And the list could be almost endless.

These are newspaper headlines and statements from politicians who have taken to the streets. "What are you afraid of?" we ask. "How will we pay the rent," "climate change," "being robbed," "a third world war," some say. But the intimate sphere also appears. "Losing my grandparents," says Albert. "Or my parents," adds Max, at his side. Both have just finished playing volleyball on Ocata beach. 700 meters above, in the municipal market, fear moves in the opposite direction. "That something might happen to my children," says Esther. "And lately I've also been afraid that something might happen to me. My father died, and if I were gone, they'd be alone. And I've developed new fears: of driving, of heights..."

Death. It's one of the most common responses. It's what the philosopher Josep Ramoneda calls a consciousness of precariousness. "Fear has three fundamental factors: the awareness that this won't last long; arbitrariness, that is, that we never know exactly what might happen to us. And, finally, power." "What do you mean by power?" I ask. "No two people are the same, and this means that forms of unequal relationships appear everywhere that make us feel threatened, and it's a structural issue of the human species."

Politics

Ángel is 94 years old and is changing his route to try to walk in the shadows. "At this age, I'm not afraid of death, but of suffering or pain. Do you know what I'm really afraid of? The political situation that's being created." In fact, fear is an essential emotion in politics, and several studies indicate that, along with anger, it has the greatest effect on political participation. "These are emotions that activate two different systems. Anger has a moral origin and activates a dispositional system; it makes you act to eliminate anger. That's why it's very useful, for example, for social movements," explains political scientist Carol Galais, an expert in politics and emotions. "But fear activates a surveillance system, that is, an escape system. And there's a fundamental issue: it makes you rethink things. That's why it's interesting to activate it in political campaign contexts, because it can make people change their vote." Steeped in polarization and apocalyptic discourse, it may seem like politics has always been this way, but Galais explains that the change came in the early 1990s; in the case of Spain, with particular intensity in the 1996 general elections between Felipe González and José María Aznar. "Negative campaigns began, vicious attacks on rivals. And fear was resurrected."

But how is it constructed? "From the perspective of political discourse, it's about fostering uncertainty," Galais concludes. "You have to take this element and link it to something whose future you don't know." Anna Romeu, a psychologist, notices the impact of these discourses on the patients she sees in her office. "Fear is triggered by three things: the unknown, what we can't control, and also by some experience that has hurt us in the past. And its basic function is to protect us from threats. Now," he says, taking one of those pauses that occur when faced with something that one considers relevant, "the threat can be real or imaginary." Romeu explains that he sees more and more patients with social fear, such as a fear of walking in Barcelona. "This has nothing to do with reality, but with repeated messages stored in the brain, in the hippocampus, whether they are true or not. I think social networks and all the communication channels that amplify these messages play a fundamental role."

"Do you know who feels the most fear in our society today?" Galais asks. "Young people. They have more fear and anxiety, while adults, on the other hand, feel more anger." And does this make sense? "It can be," he answers. "We tend to see older people as weak and younger people as strong. And maybe that's physically true, but when it comes to public agenda issues like housing or the environment, young people are more vulnerable economically or socially. And that's why they're the ones who feel the most fear."

Sadness, anger, and fear

What are the main fears of our society? It's not an easy question to answer. Emotions are more volatile than a mood or an opinion, which is why they are harder for experts to measure. However, there are surveys that attempt to obtain data. One example is the Democracy, Elections, and Citizenship group at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​​​which has been analyzing what emotions certain issues on the public agenda arouse for years. When asked about public services, the answer is sadness, second is anger, and third is fear. And it's an emotion that is present when talking about the economy, security, and housing. But it only appears in first place, as a main emotion, when asked about climate change. "And it makes perfect sense, given its inherent uncertainty, not only because of the future but because it has technical components that are not easy for everyone to understand," explains Galais.

According to the results of this group, politics primarily produces anger and disgust, and, to a certain extent, fear. "It's understandable given the current situation," says Ramoneda. "And what's relevant about the entire situation we have today, of precariousness and insecurity at different levels, is that it generates a tendency toward voluntary servitude, which is, so to speak, a willingness to submit." In fact, several studies conclude that in cases of extreme fear, such as a war or a health crisis, the tendency is to delegate. "Citizens tend to take responsibility off their shoulders and delegate it to a higher authority," explains Galais. That's why it's been suggested that in episodes and moments of fear, power can be more easily ceded to the government in power, and there may even be a tendency toward authoritarianism. "Of course, we can't forget another fundamental factor," says Ramoneda. "The fear of freedom, as Erich Fromm said. Being free and, therefore, responsible for what we do, is not easy to accept. Among other things, because if something happens to you, you can't blame anyone."

The Century of Fear

In 1948, the writer Albert Camus, then 35, wrote: "The 17th century was the century of mathematics, the 18th century was the century of physical sciences, and the 19th century was the century of biology. Our 20th century is the century of fear." It had been just three years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. "Yes, the symbolic element of mass destruction exists," says Ramoneda, "but the 21st century begins with the Twin Towers. Before, fear was localized by tribes; now it's global." In fact, Max, on the beach, in his bathing suit and before I leave, tells us: "I'm afraid of wars. When I see problems between the United States and Iran, I think... what if they drop a nuclear bomb?" The word war is the first one Bacari utters, as he strolls near the same beach, now that he's finished work. He doesn't hesitate. "I'm from Mali. I left my country because of the armed conflict; several members of my family have died. What scares me is the war."

The future

Xavi works at another market stall, near Esther's. He's 54 and lives in Alella. When we approach, he shows us a large black and white photograph behind him, which shows a young man with a wheelbarrow in the middle of a field. "Look, Grandpa. We're the third generation to do this." He also talks about his children. "But beyond death, I think: what world will I leave them? I'm no longer just worried about the political situation, but also thinking about how they're going to be able to pay the rent."

What can we do about fear? "It's part of us. It distresses me to imagine not having it," says Ramoneda. "It would be the worst kind of authoritarianism. What would it mean? That we'd all be exactly the same?" "The important thing," says Anna Romeu, "is learning to understand it and evaluate it. Knowing when it's triggered by real reasons and when it's not. It's a training."

Bernat Castany, author ofA philosophy of fear, recalls a quote from the writer Max Aub: "The opposite of fear is not courage, but solidarity." What does he mean by this? I ask. "I don't think of solidarity in the sense of charity and NGOs, but rather in the sense of social fabric. When we are in contact, we have a real dialogue, more information about the world, and we expose ourselves to difference. And that's essential, because we are losing the ability to expose ourselves to difference. That's why I always repeat: the antidote to fear is solidarity."