> [!infobox] <s class="aside-in"><em>mentioned in 14 evergreens, 2 sources</em></s> #### [[Our brains are built around survival]] This is a biological fact reinforced by [[socialization]], [[natural selection]], and is part of:: [[Humans are a product of evolution]] If a prehistoric human was attacked by a tiger and survived the rest of their life needed to be focused on avoiding tigers. They needed to be able to remember everything that lead up to the encounter, exactly how it happened, and exactly how to get out of it. However, in modern times, these natural instincts are not always needed to survive, and can even cause more emotional anguish than they prevent: [[Our brain will do anything it can to protect itself]] When the human body is put under stress it will produce various chemicals in order to heighten its chance of survival. These include [[Adrenaline]] and [[Cortisol]]. Adrenaline will hit in seconds and last for minutes after it allows for fast action and hyper awareness of the situation. Cortisol will last for 4-24 hours depending on the duration of the encounter and it keeps you aware and ready to act at a moments notice. [^2] These are the chemicals that allow us to survive incredibly dangerous situations without extraordinary strength or resilience, but they can also be activated at times when they are not really needed. [^3] Extreme anxiety can be the result of this: [[Your anxiety is telling you everything that could go wrong, not what will go wrong]] ### <hr class="footnote"/> **Status**:: #EVER/GREEN *edited 7:35 AM - July 08, 2022* **Topics**:: [[human survival]], [[Neuroscience]], [[brain]] [^2]: [[video - Existential Dread#Chemicals that cause the brain to focus]] [^3]: [[Mental health is a reaction to one's environment]]