Why Do We Feel Fear When We See a Snake?
When a snake slithers out of the bushes or appears on a country road, our immediate reaction is fear, even if we aren't certain the snake is poisonous. There are many theories behind about why we fear snakes, from simple conditioning to human evolution to the idea that this fear has benefited our species.
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Conditioning
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One theory on why we fear snakes is that we are conditioned to fear them. If we have had a negative experience with a snake, such as being bitten or seeing someone else get bitten, we remember that. But even people who haven't had any personal experience with snakes can feel fear. This is because other people's reactions, including fear or disgust, affect the way we see these creatures. Even fear responses on television or in other mass media can shape our feelings.
We are more likely to not fear snakes if we grew up with people who loved them and weren't afraid of them, or if we had positive experiences with snakes as we grew up.
Women vs. Men
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Whereas boys are often encouraged to investigate and even handle snakes and bugs, girls are more likely to be conditioned to fear snakes, spiders and other creepy crawlies. Because early human women were often gatherers, they were commonly faced with snakes when picking food from the ground. Their fear of snakes developed because snakes were a danger to them and their offspring.
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Other Evolutionary Perspectives
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Snakes are the oldest human predator, so our history of fear goes back a long way. In our ancestors' time, this fear improved human survival and reproduction rates. So we learned to look for snakes and notice them. Those who were able to quickly detect snakes were more likely to pass on their genes to offspring, so our fear has furthered our species.
Benefits of Fear
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Many anthropologists believe that primates and humans developed strong eyesight and large brains because of their ability to notice dangerous snakes. Our depth perception and our ability to see in color also might have evolved because of this. Today, it is a common reaction to point and say "Snake" when we see one, so it is possible that recognizing these predators even urged us to communicate through spoken language.
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References
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