fight-or-flight reflex
Danger response mechanism
The fight-or-flight reflex is the body's automatic response to perceived danger—a surge of adrenaline that prepares you to either confront a threat or run from it.
Heart rate increases, breathing quickens, muscles tense.
The term extends to any situation demanding quick decisive action: My fight-or-flight kicked in when I saw the deadline was tomorrow.
- adrenalineEmergency response hormone
- stress responseBody's reaction to threat
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
- life or deathMaximally high stakes
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
deer in headlights · instinct · gut feeling · danger · stress · cortisol · freeze · threat · pulse · heartbeat · escape · react · split second · primal · amygdala · nervous system · fear · nervous
fight-or-flight reflexrational thought
Logic-based mental process
measured response · reflective thinking · slow thinking · executive function
fight-or-flight reflexfreeze response
Involuntary stillness under threat
fawn response · submission · acceptance · stillness · playing dead
fight, flight, reflex, fights, fighting, fought, fighter, fighters, flights