I have a confession to make: I Любовь horror; movies, books, Телевидение shows, it doesn’t matter. I can’t make it through the week without my fix of horror escapism. As a very introspective person, I have often wondered why this is the case; why am I drawn to this specific genre? After a productive pondering session, I think I have come up with four compelling reasons horror is such a well-loved genre (at least to me).
1. It’s edgy.
Do Ты remember being an Эмо teenager? Wearing skull and crossbone jewelry with punk rock band T-shirts and Письмо angsty lyrics in a journal? If you’re nodding Ты probably loved those things because they made Ты feel like a badass. They gave Ты a false sense of security; as if because Ты embraced the danger and angst Ты couldn’t be hurt by them.
2. It helps with anxiety.
или at least it does with mine. There’s an old Persian proverb:
“I never complained of the vicissitudes of fortune, nor suffered my face to be пасмурная погода, пасмурно at the revolution of the heavens, except once, when my feet were bare, and I had not the means of obtaining shoes. I came to the chief of Kufah in a state of much dejection, and saw there a man who had no feet. I returned thanks to God and acknowledged his mercies, and endured my want of shoes with patience.”
Happy comedy stories don’t make me feel better или less anxious. I need a story where the characters are dealing with something еще difficult than I am dealing with. That perspective helps me to shift focus. No matter what I am dealing with it’s not as terrible as facing off against hordes of the undead. I can also turn off или put down the story if I decide to, which gives me control over the horror when I can’t do that with my real-life circumstances.
3. It’s a psychological purge.
According to Aristotle, horror stories allow people to purge negative feelings and emotions in a socially acceptable way. Instead of violently lashing out at a real human we instead enjoy watching things happen to fake humans. Ты might say horror is a kinder alternative to murder-sports like hunting and fishing. Horror also appeals to the sensation-seeking part of our brains. The rush of adrenaline and fear is intense and unleashes extreme emotions that can be arousing and addicting.
4. It’s realistic.
We live in a scary world. Children are dying, Животные are being abused, humans are killing each other over petty differences, we have a new president, nuclear weapons, etc. Maybe zombies aren’t real, but they represent real horrors. And for those of us who are not easily fooled, horror provides a convincing escapism.
To conclude, I have presented four reasons that I Любовь and need horror. Do any of them resonate with you? Do Ты have other thoughts?
1. It’s edgy.
Do Ты remember being an Эмо teenager? Wearing skull and crossbone jewelry with punk rock band T-shirts and Письмо angsty lyrics in a journal? If you’re nodding Ты probably loved those things because they made Ты feel like a badass. They gave Ты a false sense of security; as if because Ты embraced the danger and angst Ты couldn’t be hurt by them.
2. It helps with anxiety.
или at least it does with mine. There’s an old Persian proverb:
“I never complained of the vicissitudes of fortune, nor suffered my face to be пасмурная погода, пасмурно at the revolution of the heavens, except once, when my feet were bare, and I had not the means of obtaining shoes. I came to the chief of Kufah in a state of much dejection, and saw there a man who had no feet. I returned thanks to God and acknowledged his mercies, and endured my want of shoes with patience.”
Happy comedy stories don’t make me feel better или less anxious. I need a story where the characters are dealing with something еще difficult than I am dealing with. That perspective helps me to shift focus. No matter what I am dealing with it’s not as terrible as facing off against hordes of the undead. I can also turn off или put down the story if I decide to, which gives me control over the horror when I can’t do that with my real-life circumstances.
3. It’s a psychological purge.
According to Aristotle, horror stories allow people to purge negative feelings and emotions in a socially acceptable way. Instead of violently lashing out at a real human we instead enjoy watching things happen to fake humans. Ты might say horror is a kinder alternative to murder-sports like hunting and fishing. Horror also appeals to the sensation-seeking part of our brains. The rush of adrenaline and fear is intense and unleashes extreme emotions that can be arousing and addicting.
4. It’s realistic.
We live in a scary world. Children are dying, Животные are being abused, humans are killing each other over petty differences, we have a new president, nuclear weapons, etc. Maybe zombies aren’t real, but they represent real horrors. And for those of us who are not easily fooled, horror provides a convincing escapism.
To conclude, I have presented four reasons that I Любовь and need horror. Do any of them resonate with you? Do Ты have other thoughts?
