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Summary of The Gift of Fear 

4.7 . 9357 reviews

Short summary

We often ask ourselves how we know of impending danger, or how we could move just in time, to avoid a disaster. These questions resonate in our minds because we barely know the answers, but thanks to this piece by Gavin de Becker, you’ll find out why. Our world is a dangerous world where the weak barely survive. To survive, we must understand the concept of fear, its power, and how we can use it to our advantage. Gavin de Becker is an American author and security specialist. He is the founder and chairman of Gavin de Becker and Associates.

Table of content

  • Summary of The Gift of Fear
  • About the author
  • What is The Gift of Fear about?
  • Who should read The Gift of Fear
  • Topics in The Gift of Fear
first key point

Humans are wired in different ways, under different ideologies and beliefs, but one thing that’s common to everyone is fear

Listen the first key point
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Most acts of violence we experience aren’t unexpected, even though they might come as a surprise. In most cases, the signs and red flags are always there to caution us, but we pay little to no attention to them. Many times, we escape these experiences with our intuition and guts.

However, to really use the gift of fear, we need to learn how to identify the signals that are there to ensure our survival. We must learn these signals with more accuracy while training our minds to make full use of our intuitions.

Fear is a huge determinant of how safe we’ll live our lives. It is the emotion that can determine whether we live or die. It is the tiny switch between finding an escape and being condemned to fate.

By discussing the possibility of everyone being capable of violence, we can see what we dread seeing, thereby accepting that violence is an innate feeling that needs an excuse to manifest.

Using real – life examples and personal experience, Gavin de Becker has given us a manual that would help us live a safer, assured life.
People should learn to see and so avoid all danger. Just as a wise man keeps away from mad dogs, so one should not make friends with evil men. ~ Buddha
second key point

Our sense of danger and intuition is the best option against violence

When Kelly agreed to let a stranger she met in her apartment help her carry the groceries to her place, she had no idea that the stranger was a serial rapist. He raped her and intended to kill her after he was done. Fortunately for Kelly, when the rapist got up to go to the kitchen, she silently escaped from her apartment and hid with her neighbors. Months later, when she narrated her ordeal with the author, who happens to be a security specialist, Kelly wondered what had made her know that her rapist had planned to kill her. Later, she discovered that on hearing her captor lock the windows, her instinct had automatically told her that it’s to prevent her screams from reaching the neighbors. Had she not followed her instincts, the captor would have killed her.
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third key point

We must stop judging people’s characters based on our expectations of them

fourth key point

Our knowledge of survival signals goes a long way in determining how we can escape from a dangerous situation

fifth key point

Putting ourselves in our attacker’s shoes helps us make faster and better decisions regarding our safety

sixth key point

There’s no common justification for violence; anyone can get violent because of anything

seventh key point

We may get used to violence and abuse when we lose our sense of fear

eighth key point

An obsession with recognition and validation has led to teenagers making erratic decisions that can be very damaging

ninth key point

Sometimes, violence is more profound than what we believe it is; our lives can be in danger without us having a clue

tenth key point

Conclusion

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What is The Gift of Fear about?

Who should read The Gift of Fear

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Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.