Friday, April 3, 2020

Consider the aversion to large crowds

Enochlophobia refers to the fear of crowds. Not everyone who feels uncomfortable in a crowd lives with enochlophobia. Rather, this phobia involves irrational thoughts and behaviors that are excessive in relation to the actual danger in a situation.
Says the web.

Now, how much of that aversion is an early immune reaction? In a crowd, there is dangerous viruses and there are early immune responses. Evolution may have inserted a biological basis for crowd aversion. Immune reactions and anxiety can be confused and they are related.  Human centric bacteria, in large doses could easily cause a flush reaction, make us sweaty, uncomfortable around crowds.

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