{"id":32725,"date":"2022-09-10T16:20:41","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:20:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/americans-most-want-to-avoid-fear-and-anxiety-gain-freedom-and-safety\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:20:41","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:20:41","slug":"americans-most-want-to-avoid-fear-and-anxiety-gain-freedom-and-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/americans-most-want-to-avoid-fear-and-anxiety-gain-freedom-and-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Americans Most Want to Avoid Fear and Anxiety, Gain Freedom and Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"
processingly photo – Unsplash <\/p>\n

By Aaron Earls<\/em><\/p>\n

After what was a scary year for many, more Americans say they want to avoid fear.<\/p>\n

According to a study from Lifeway Research, when asked which feeling they seek to avoid the most, 4 in 10 U.S. adults (41%) say fear. Far fewer say shame (24%) or guilt (22%). Around 1 in 10 aren\u2019t sure.<\/p>\n

Fear topping the list is a marked change from a 2016 Lifeway Research study that found Americans more evenly divided, but with shame (38%) being the emotion people most wanted to avoid, followed by guilt (31%) and fear (30%).<\/p>\n

\u201cFor many Americans, circumstances in 2020 led to an increased focus on their fears,\u201d said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. \u201cMany feared getting COVID; others feared social unrest during protests; and politicians played on people\u2019s fears in ads and speeches.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Adherents of non-Christian religions (57%), adults 65 and older (49%), and those with a high school diploma or less (46%) are among the Americans most likely to say they want to avoid fear most of all.<\/p>\n

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Whites (25%) and African Americans (30%) are more likely to try to avoid shame than Hispanics (18%). But whites (23%) and Hispanics (25%) are more likely to want to avoid feelings of guilt than African Americans (15%).<\/p>\n

Sources of hope<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When thinking about the adversity they faced last year, Americans looked around, looked up and looked at their bank accounts to provide them with hope.<\/p>\n

The top source of hope for U.S. adults through 2020 is the kindness people have shown (40%), followed closely by relationships (38%), their religious faith (36%), and their finances being stable (33%).<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout half as many Americans who identify with a religious faith credit that faith with giving them hope during 2020,\u201d said McConnell. \u201cThe Christian faith points followers of Jesus to a more hopeful future, which should shine even brighter during dark times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout half as many Americans who identify with a religious faith credit that faith with giving them hope during 2020.\u201d \u2014 @smcconn Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

Fewer Americans drew hope from the knowledge of scientists and experts (19%), recreation or fun they had (17%), new opportunities (14%), their work (13%), or research they\u2019ve done themselves (10%). One in 20 say none of these (5%) or they\u2019re not sure (5%).<\/p>\n

Around 1 in 14 U.S. adults (7%) say they haven\u2019t had any source of hope during the problems they\u2019ve faced in 2020.<\/p>\n

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Americans who struggle to find hope are more likely to be those with a high school diploma or less (8%) and the religiously unaffiliated (12%). Only 1% of Americans with evangelical beliefs say they had no hope in 2020 compared to 8% of those without such beliefs. Among Christians, those who attend worship services four times a month or more (2%) are less likely than those who attend less than once a month (7%) to have faced last year without hope.<\/p>\n

Americans want freedom and safety<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When asked what they desire most in life, Americans are more likely to choose personal freedom (36%) than a desire to overcome (32%) or a desire for respect (24%), while 8% aren\u2019t sure. In 2016, Lifeway Research found 40% of Americans had a desire for personal freedom, 28% a desire to overcome and 31% a desire for respect.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe events of 2020 led some to reevaluate their priorities, with fewer desiring respect. But most responded from what was already a priority for them,\u201d said McConnell. \u201cResistance to social distancing mandates was likely motivated by the desire for personal freedom. Speaking up about racial injustice was likely motivated by the desire to overcome power differences in society.\u201d<\/p>\n

Men (39%) are more likely than women (33%) to say they desire personal freedom most of all. College graduates (44%) are also more likely than those with a high school diploma or less (32%) to point to freedom as their top desire.<\/p>\n

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See also  Pastors Identify 7 Spiritual Needs for Their Life, Ministry<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Younger adults are more likely to say they want to overcome, and older adults are more likely to want respect. African Americans (39%) and Hispanics (40%) are more likely than whites (28%) to say they most desire to overcome.<\/p>\n

U.S. adults are almost twice as likely to say the outcome they value most is obtaining security and safety (45%) compared to reaching their potential (25%) or bringing honor to my family and friends (24%). Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

U.S. adults are almost twice as likely to say the outcome they value most is obtaining security and safety (45%) compared to reaching their potential (25%) or bringing honor to my family and friends (24%).<\/p>\n

Women (48%), along with adults 50-64 (51%) and those 65 and older (55%) are among those who most value safety. Younger adults (18-34) are the most likely to say their primary value is reaching their potential (39%).<\/p>\n

Right and wrongdoing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While Americans overwhelmingly say they get the most satisfaction from doing the right thing, they\u2019d much rather eliminate anxiety from their lives than wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

Around 4 in 5 adults (79%) say it would bring them the most satisfaction to know they had done the right thing, compared to their political party being in power (7%) or obtaining social recognition or status (7%).<\/p>\n

When asked what they would remove completely from their life if they could, however, Americans pick anxiety (46%) over wrongdoing (34%) and humiliation (11%).<\/p>\n

U.S. adults are also most likely to say someone suffering unfairly (60%) angers them the most compared to someone breaking the law (29%) or someone embarrassing their community (5%).<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Americans approach life so differently, it\u2019s not surprising that we frequently misunderstand each other,\u201d said McConnell.<\/p>\n

For more information, view the complete report.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Aaron Earls<\/h2>\n

@WardrobeDoor<\/p>\n

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Aaron is a writer for LifewayResearch.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n