Tensing up, getting ready to fight the person who is angering you because he or she is in your personal space is a result of evolution, not your anger issues.
Explains Which Behavior?:
Flight zone explains why when someone comes in our "personal space" we get upset and anxious.
What is it?:
An animal's flight zone is the distance another person, or another animal can reach before the animal (or person) becomes defensive and it's fight-or-flight response is alerted. When another animal comes in a certain distance of an animal (or person) they become tense and their startle response is becoming alerted to turn into a fight-or-flight response if the other animal starts to show signs of planning to attack. This can be useful to us because it demonstrates how people act when a person they are unsure of starts to get closer to them, both emotionally and physically. When we are unsure of a person, we tense up for they are in our flight zone, our ancestors had to be aware of predictors and sadly, so are we. Both literally (as in criminals) and figuratively (backstabbing best friends). Similar to fight-or-fight response, we need to be alert and ready if someone turns out to be a not-so-nice person who is going to use us for their own gain, or is really trying to develop a relationship (platonically, or romantically) with us.
When people want to have a certain amount of distance between themselves and a partner, a friend, strangers they are thought to be distant, stand-offish, keeping a distance is a symptom of a personality disorder. However, as we can see, keeping a distance has been a recipe for survival for our ancestors and non-human animals. Because we are animals (mammals) we can relate to other mammals displaying the same behavior we label as a personality disorder symptom.
According to Medical Dictionary, animals in zoos will actually slam themselves into the fence , or wall if they do not have enough flight zone distance between them and a person or another animal.
Just like people, animals have a certain distance that they feel safe that differs from each animal to the next . If this distance is not honored that is when animals become defense and ready to fight, or run away in fear. This behavior can be seen in humans as well, not only when we are in real danger, but emotional danger as well. We become scared and want to fight or run away when our personal boundaries are rattled by someone else. While someone may allow another person to get very close to them, another person may become tense at a much lower distance between them and someone else. We like to keep a distance between us and others and this is because, if we look at the flight zone, if we need to "escape" physically, emotionally, or mentally we can do so safely.
Similar to animals, especially cattle, humans will start to lower their defensive flight zone and start to let a person in closer, little by little as they gain trust.Even bees portray this type of behavior.
As stated by the organization Alberta Agriculture and forestry's website, if cattle have a bad experience with a person such as a farmer, they will increase their flight zone and become alert even sooner to a perceived threat. This is common behavior we can observe with ourselves, if we have been hurt in the past, our defenses become higher and we become more alert to threats and we perceive more things as threats even through they may not be.
So, when we tense up, and get scared when someone is getting close to us, just remember this is behavior almost all animals display and it is not only you or a result of your "disorder." It is from years and years of keeping our species and ourselves alive, both physically and mentally.
When people want to have a certain amount of distance between themselves and a partner, a friend, strangers they are thought to be distant, stand-offish, keeping a distance is a symptom of a personality disorder. However, as we can see, keeping a distance has been a recipe for survival for our ancestors and non-human animals. Because we are animals (mammals) we can relate to other mammals displaying the same behavior we label as a personality disorder symptom.
According to Medical Dictionary, animals in zoos will actually slam themselves into the fence , or wall if they do not have enough flight zone distance between them and a person or another animal.
Just like people, animals have a certain distance that they feel safe that differs from each animal to the next . If this distance is not honored that is when animals become defense and ready to fight, or run away in fear. This behavior can be seen in humans as well, not only when we are in real danger, but emotional danger as well. We become scared and want to fight or run away when our personal boundaries are rattled by someone else. While someone may allow another person to get very close to them, another person may become tense at a much lower distance between them and someone else. We like to keep a distance between us and others and this is because, if we look at the flight zone, if we need to "escape" physically, emotionally, or mentally we can do so safely.
Similar to animals, especially cattle, humans will start to lower their defensive flight zone and start to let a person in closer, little by little as they gain trust.Even bees portray this type of behavior.
As stated by the organization Alberta Agriculture and forestry's website, if cattle have a bad experience with a person such as a farmer, they will increase their flight zone and become alert even sooner to a perceived threat. This is common behavior we can observe with ourselves, if we have been hurt in the past, our defenses become higher and we become more alert to threats and we perceive more things as threats even through they may not be.
So, when we tense up, and get scared when someone is getting close to us, just remember this is behavior almost all animals display and it is not only you or a result of your "disorder." It is from years and years of keeping our species and ourselves alive, both physically and mentally.
References
Blumstein, D. (2003). Flight-Initiation Distance in Birds Is Dependent on Intruder Starting Distance. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 67(4), 852-857. doi:10.2307/3802692
Wikipedia. “Critical Distance (Animals).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Nov. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_distance_(animals).
Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary, 3 ed.. S.v. "flight distance." Retrieved November 19 2017 from https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/flight+distance
Araújo, E D, et al. “Body Size and Flight Distance in Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini): Inference of Flight Range and Possible Ecological Implications.” Brazilian Journal of Biology = Revista Brasleira De Biologia., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2004, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15619994.
Hunter, Daryl. “Wildlife ~ Fight or Flight Distance - ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ The Hole Picture • Daryl L. Hunter.” The Hole Picture, 19 Sept. 2014, daryl-hunter.net/wildlife-fight-or-flight-distance/.
Government of Alberta, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “Handling Livestock Safely.”Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, 16 Mar. 2004, www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex8274.
Kunas, Diane. “Fight and Flight Distance: A TLC Training Technique.” Diane Kunas - Canine Practitioner, 1 Mar. 2012, dianekunas.com/2012/02/29/fight-flight-distance/.
Grandin, Temple. “Understanding Flight Zone and Point of Balance for Low Stress Handling of Cattle, Sheep, and Pigs.” Understanding Flight Zone and Point of Balance for Low Stress Handling of Cattle, Sheep, and Pigs, 19 Nov. 2017, www.grandin.com/behaviour/principles/flight.zone.html.
Temple Grandin*, Mark J. Deesing†, in Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals (Second Edition), 2014
J. Deen, in Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, 2010
Bonnie V. Beaver, Donald L. Höglund, in Efficient Livestock Handling, 2016
L. Cardinali, ... A. Farnè, in Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience, 2010
Dusty W. Nagy, D.G. Pugh, in Sheep and Goat Medicine (Second Edition), 2012
Science Direct. “Flight Zone.” Flight Zone - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, 19 Nov. 2017, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/flight-zone.
Wikipedia. “Flight Zone.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Nov. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_zone.
Blumstein, D. (2003). Flight-Initiation Distance in Birds Is Dependent on Intruder Starting Distance. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 67(4), 852-857. doi:10.2307/3802692
Wikipedia. “Critical Distance (Animals).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Nov. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_distance_(animals).
Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary, 3 ed.. S.v. "flight distance." Retrieved November 19 2017 from https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/flight+distance
Araújo, E D, et al. “Body Size and Flight Distance in Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini): Inference of Flight Range and Possible Ecological Implications.” Brazilian Journal of Biology = Revista Brasleira De Biologia., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2004, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15619994.
Hunter, Daryl. “Wildlife ~ Fight or Flight Distance - ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ The Hole Picture • Daryl L. Hunter.” The Hole Picture, 19 Sept. 2014, daryl-hunter.net/wildlife-fight-or-flight-distance/.
Government of Alberta, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “Handling Livestock Safely.”Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, 16 Mar. 2004, www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex8274.
Kunas, Diane. “Fight and Flight Distance: A TLC Training Technique.” Diane Kunas - Canine Practitioner, 1 Mar. 2012, dianekunas.com/2012/02/29/fight-flight-distance/.
Grandin, Temple. “Understanding Flight Zone and Point of Balance for Low Stress Handling of Cattle, Sheep, and Pigs.” Understanding Flight Zone and Point of Balance for Low Stress Handling of Cattle, Sheep, and Pigs, 19 Nov. 2017, www.grandin.com/behaviour/principles/flight.zone.html.
Temple Grandin*, Mark J. Deesing†, in Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals (Second Edition), 2014
J. Deen, in Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, 2010
Bonnie V. Beaver, Donald L. Höglund, in Efficient Livestock Handling, 2016
L. Cardinali, ... A. Farnè, in Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience, 2010
Dusty W. Nagy, D.G. Pugh, in Sheep and Goat Medicine (Second Edition), 2012
Science Direct. “Flight Zone.” Flight Zone - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, 19 Nov. 2017, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/flight-zone.
Wikipedia. “Flight Zone.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Nov. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_zone.