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Current Mood: curious

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Fight or flight- what determines it?

Training and the instincts in which you poses.

Nature via nurture, basically.

Of course, that makes one wonder if there's one particular gene or chemical that controls it. If so, one could manipulate the response, perhaps change the way humanity in general responds to fear.

Well I do suppose that it would depend on the fear that is being put into you.

I could not fight or flight. They were very smart in this.

That, of course, is another interest of mine.

What happens when you take someone whose instinct is "flight" and make it impossible for them to escape? Will they finally turn and fight? Fight harder, perhaps, because their backs are against the wall? Or will they find another way to escape? Escape into their own minds, into what we see as madness?

Fear is a curious, fascinating thing.

Yes, I saw many people escape into madness and the death prayer was said unto themselves. They were not in their right minds in the end.

Whether you figure you can thrash the other bloke or you reckon that you're going to get killed if you try.

You can win against anyone if you know the proper way to fight.

I know. But I've not learnt them all yet. Angelus is teaching me.

How fascinating.

*Spike flicks an uncertain look at the eerily self-possessed little bird- he's British, so he instinctively can pick up irony and sarcasm in minuscule amounts, and knows 'fascinating' is often code for the opposite.*

Why d'you want to know then?

I am a scientist by nature, and I have an interest in the science of fear and the human response to fear.

Oh! Well I'm not actually _scared_ of anything. Just, some things y' know... I don't fancy having happen if I can avoid them.

Like Angelus getting in a bate.

Not afraid of anything? How... curious.

*...and due to his highly developed Britsense, Spike also knows that a meaningful pause followed by 'curious' in response to a statement often means 'liar'. He pinkens a little.*

Yeh, well... I mean, there's things I'd rather _not_ have happen to me, obviously. 'm not _stupid_.

I would imagine there are still things that scare you. Perhaps not things as common as nyctophobia, claustrophobia, and acrophobia, but I am certain you still fear something.

Testicular fortitude, my dear.

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