The fear factor

Survey confirms a dose of terror is good for you

Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Everest, told Time magazine he was stimulated by fear – that it made him extend himself beyond his capacity. “If you're afraid, the blood seems to flow freely through the veins,” he said.

He may have had a point. According to scientists at the University of Kent, the amount of fear we seek out and are comfortable with is increasing. In the survey, sponsored by Capcom, the computer games publishers, over 70 per cent of 18 to 30-year-olds admitted they enjoyed being scared. But it's not confined to the young – about 60 per cent of 36 to 40-year-olds also said they enjoyed a dose of the fear.

Frank Furedi, the author of The Culture of Fear and Professor of Sociology at the university, says “Paradoxically although fear is part of our everyday experience many of us actually welcome the opportunity to feel a little bit scared. In a risk-averse age many of us possess that very human aspiration to find out how we react to scary circumstances.

“For many people, especially the young, the world is far too safe and predictable. Yes, we fear death but many feel truly alive when they have encountered difficult and scary circumstances. When 73 per cent say that they enjoy being scared a little what they mean is that a dose of fright reminds them that there is more to life than a 9-5 routine.