“The lizard brain knows only five ways to snap into action. It can make us flee, or fight, or freeze, or fawn, or annihilate.
“Fleeing may involve running away, locking our door and refusing to leave our home, or otherwise removing ourselves from the source of perceived danger. But we can also internally flee from danger — by pretending that it doesn't exist, or that it can't harm us, or that the threat is imaginary, overblown, or off in the future. …
“Fighting is often physical, but it can also involve shouting, or making threatening gestures, or saying, “I'll sue your ass for every penny you're worth.” … It can also involve calling the police, a security guard, or the store manager for no legitimate reason. (Karen and Kevin, I'm talking about you.)
“Fawning involves offering our subservience and surrender to a person, group, movement, or government. It can also involve joining a dangerous but potentially winning team. …
“Annihilating is a severe fight response that pushes us to destroy the source of our discomfort — or to obtain a complete, scorched-earth victory over it. …
“Should a civil war begin, a great many American bodies will often act in one or more of these five ways.”
