1) Essence
Fear does not “destroy” distinctions completely, but compresses the field of perception to the minimal set needed for survival.
2) What Happens in a State of Fear
- Priority: survival.
- There is almost no time for analysis.
- The cost of an error is perceived as high.
- Multidimensional distinctions are reduced to rapid binary schemes:
- “dangerous / not dangerous”
- “one of us / outsider”
- “act / do not act”
3) Mechanism
Distinction requires resources: attention, time, energy, and tolerance for uncertainty.
Fear initiates a mode of rapid optimization:
– removes subtle distinctions,
– reduces doubt,
– cuts off alternatives,
– leaves patterns for immediate action.
4) Where Exactly the Loss Occurs
Differences in reality do not disappear; access to them in consciousness disappears.
The world remains complex, but perception narrows into “tunnel vision.”
5) The Paradox of Two Extremes
- Without fear, overload is possible: there are too many distinctions, and attention fragments.
- With intense fear, there are too few distinctions: perception becomes tunnel-like, and alternatives are lost.
Both extremes hinder effective thinking and action.
6) Key Formulation
Above all, fear reduces the capacity to hold a multiplicity of distinctions simultaneously.
This is a question not only of emotion, but also of the capacity of consciousness.
7) Working Modes
- Overload with distinctions: much is visible, but the system does not assemble into a decision.
- Fear: little is visible, and everything is excessively simplified.
- Controlled distinction (optimum): consciously choose a layer of distinctions, fix it, and temporarily disregard the rest.
8) Final Formula
Fear is an algorithm that compresses the space of meaning into the minimal set of distinctions sufficient for immediate action.
