WASHINGTON – Today scientists released a break-through study revealing fear drives everything in our everyday lives.

Fear is one of our primal instincts. It is far more powerful to what we do than we'd like to admit to ourselves. Scientists in Washington discovered it rules most of our decisions.

We spoke to Professor Carl Freeman, leader of the 3-year state-funded project.

"Fear is all around us. When you go to work on a Monday, then because you fear being fired if you don't. If you call in sick, then out of fear your sickness will get worse if you don't. You'd definitely balance the two fears to come to a successful fear-minimizing conclusion. If staying in bed would be an option, most of us would."

Freeman and his team successfully experimented with young rats in their laboratory. They handed different sorts of food to different rats. Some of the rats were exposed to a tape recording of an angry voice to inject fear. Another group of rats could go about their food without disturbance.

"Basically the two groups of rats didn't care about what we did and would go on to eat their cheese and cookie crumbles in any way. We think this just proves how little they resemble humans."

Freeman emphasizes the Context Dependent Fear Model (CDFM) the scientists developed.

"You are in a different fear zone wherever you are, whatever you do. The context of work emphasizes the fear of your boss. If you are in fact the boss you fear not having people to boss around. You quit smoking because you fear cancer, and you start again because you fear being alone. When you are young, you fear growing up. When old, you fear dying. When you have little money you fear being disrespected by your friends; when you have much money, you fear losing it. Our Context Dependent Fear Model is the Feng Shui of the Western world."

By FakeToday correspondent Philipp Lenssen (8/30/2004).