The Good Fight (or Flight)
This post is inspired by true events.
Have you ever wondered how you would react if your loved one got attacked by a squirrel? Would you jump into the brawl? Would you freeze? Or would you watch from the kitchen window finishing your sandwich with your phone handy in the event the situation escalated into something even more comically absurd? Hard to tell.
What experience has taught me is that it is nearly impossible to predict one's reaction in unexpected situations. The pre-determinants of whether you would fight or flight have proven to be revealed only on a complete case-by-case situation.
The concept of “fight or flight” has been around for centuries, but the term was formalized in 1915 by a physiologist by the name of Walter Bradford Cannon. The Fight-or-flight Response (also known as the Acute Stress Response), refers to a physiological reaction that occurs when we are in the presence of something that is mentally or physically terrifying. The foundation of Cannon's research was around the physiological response of an animal when confronted with their predator.
What makes Cannon’s succinct coining of “Fight-or-Flight” so significant is it’s conceptual attainability and application malleability. It can fit into nearly any situation. I have heard it used in the context of:
A contentious business deal
A non-committal partner who seems to favor the side of the flight vs. the fight
Describing the mental state of a newly introspective cult member contemplating his escape from an upstate New York sex cult (Netflix docuseries)
Additional facts:
- They have superb vision
- They learn by quickly copying other animals
- They can turn their ankles 180 degrees to face any direction when climbing
Which brings me back to my question: What would I do if my husband were attacked by a squirrel? Would I fight or would I flee? I still don’t know.
Squirrels are deceptive; we have been taught to think of them as timid and docile creatures. Outwardly, they are sweet-faced and endearing. However, they are faster than they look, smarter than they look, and tougher than they look. Squirrels have four front teeth that are constantly growing, they can run up to 20mph, jump vertically 5ft, and stick a 20ft landing. I once read a BBC article detailing how a pine cone shortage in Russia led to a pack of squirrels attacking and killing a dog. I mean…why??
It is not difficult to understand that the anatomical attributes and capabilities of the common squirrel are equivalent to that of a low-grade superhero. Do not even get me started on the subspecies of carnivorous flying squirrels.
The only things standing in the way between squirrels and a humans are the facts that we are bigger and that squirrels have not fully realized their true potential.
So, would I fight or flee? Understanding my irrational fear of squirrels, I decided to continue my research to help me answer this question. I found a study conducted by a man named Lee Dugatkin, a biologist, who was interested in studying the survival rate of those who reacted to the fight or flight world. He sorted guppies into three groups based on their reactions when confronted by a smallmouth bass:
Bold guppies (Fighters)
Ordinary guppies (his control group)
Timid guppies (The Flee’ers)
The guppies were then left in the tank with a bass for 60 hours. Survival rate:
Bold Guppies: 0% survival
Ordinary Guppies: 15% survival
Timid Guppies: 40% survival
I get his point.
So, Flight or Flee? Still up for debate.
I am glad my husband or other loved ones have not been attacked by a squirrel. But I find the idea of this very plausible situation horrifying. We humans keep pushing our limits, messing with their natural habitat, and scaring them off from our gardens as they try to nibble on our arugula.
In the end, I think the only thing that stands between us and a full-on squirrel war is, in fact, the fight or flight response… that of the squirrels. They seem to look at you, consider their choice, and always land on flee. But if that ever changes… yikes.
xx,
Neda
