Is it a bad or a good thing to be inclined to “flinch”? I happen to be somewhat easily startled. I tend to flinch at things that some others would not. I’m not really scared of anything, but when something really surprises me, I tend to react more aggressively than others might.
I’ve always thought that this was a really good survival mechanism, but modern culture seems to think otherwise (two for flinching etc.). How does this attribute factor into genomic superiority/inferiority? Any guesses?
It may be that, like I, people view flinching as a bad response. In other words, while you may react by lashing out in a way that would protect you (good response, in terms of you) I see, by your use of the word ‘flinch’, something like a deer frozen in place by your headlights. When people flinch they don’t do much to protect themselves, but rather contort their face and body into amusing positions. That could be why it is not looked upon with high regard in society.
While a fast reaction time is good, a tendency to overreact isn’t. I have really fast reflexes, have a normal reflex threshold, but often severely overreact.
Does your flinch have any effect on your ability or odds of having children? Do you spazz out so badly on approaching orgasm that it becomes a natural form of birth control? If not then it has no effect in an evolutionary sense.