Be afraid, very afraid
New Zealand Listener|November 11 - 17, 2023
British historian explores how much fear has been - and will continue to be - a fundamental driver in society.
NIK DIRGA
Be afraid, very afraid

Fear is all around us. It was a key weapon in the recent election, where hoardings on every street corner warned of the consequences of letting any of the others take power. During the Covid-19 pandemic, just the mere proximity of other people was enough to invoke fear. Even the act of looking at the news on your phone is often called "doom-scrolling". In the 24-7 digital news world, fear is fuel.

British writer Robert Peckham tries to weave an all-encompassing history presenting fear as a prime motivator in our past, present and future, from the Black Death of the Middle Ages to the Trump era.

Although it falls a little short of being definitive, it's a sweeping and thought-provoking look at how things we're afraid of help shape the world around us, be it in war, politics, health or finance.

Peckham shows that fear comes in many distinct flavours: simmering anxiety, sweaty panic, jittery phobias, angry rage. It has been a tool for kings and dictators, a spark to light revolutions.

The Catholic Church ruled for centuries through threats of eternal damnation that promised fear spanning far beyond life itself, until the Black Death and the Reformation loosened its grip. Bloodsoaked events like the French Revolution, slavery and colonisation often relied on fear to further power - or destroy it.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEW ZEALAND LISTENERView all
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 mins  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024