Why Do We Fear Heights? An Evolutionary Biologist Explains the Hardwired Response

An evolutionary biologist argues that fear of heights is an ancient survival response shaped by natural selection, not just learned trauma.

Infant and animal studies, including the visual cliff experiments by Eleanor Gibson and Richard Walk, suggest height aversion appears early without prior injury.

Later phobia research by Menzies and Clarke supports the idea of non-associative fear, where height fear can emerge without a clear bad experience.

The article links this pattern to preparedness theory and mammalian biology, showing why height fear may be hardwired across species and persistent in life.