Chasing the Fear: How Fight or Flight Became My Accidental Comedy Coach in Bangkok

Chasing the Fear: How Fight or Flight Actually Makes You Funnier

There’s a moment before every comedy show where my brain quietly asks,“Hey Lex… what if instead of doing standup, we just… don’t?”

That’s the fight or flight response in action. And because I’m a comedian, my brain usually adds a third option:“Or hear me out… what if we pretend to faint?”

Welcome to the psychology of fear, where human instincts collide with Bangkok humidity and a microphone that’s definitely been sneezed on by twelve comedians before me.

So What Is Fight or Flight, Really?

Scientifically, fight or flight is your built-in survival alarm.Comedy-wise, it’s that little zap in your chest right before you walk onstage that says,“This could go great… or this could go in a Bangkok Facebook group.”

The body doesn’t know the difference between a tiger attack and performing standup at 11 PM for a crowd of jet-lagged tourists looking for “Things to do in Bangkok that aren’t a rooftop bar.”

It just knows:Danger detected.Prepare to run or throw hands.

But here’s the twist: comedians do neither.We walk toward the fear, grab a mic, and ask it how its day’s going.

The Night Fear Won… Then Lost (A Bangkok Story)

There was one night at a packed show—presented by The Comedy Joint, because branding never sleeps—where a guy in the front row looked at me the way a cat looks at furniture it wants to destroy.

Arms crossed.Zero expression.Pure statue energy.

My fear response kicked in.My heart rate jumped like it was late for a BTS train.

I had two choices:Flight: fake a coughing fit and dramatically exitFight: roast the man gently before he roasted me by blinking

Instead, I did something better:I chased the fear.

I leaned into the anxiety, said exactly what I was thinking, and the whole room cracked open. Even Stoneface Guy laughed—the kind of laugh where you know it hurt his ego a little.

That moment didn’t come from comfort.It came from leaning into the discomfort until it worked for me instead of against me.

Why Chasing Fear Works (Even When It Shouldn’t)

When you chase fear, your brain enters this weird creative sweet spot where instincts take over. Call it comedy mindset, call it adrenaline with a GED—whatever it is, it’s real.

Here’s what fear does for performance:

• It forces clarity• It kills overthinking• It sharpens instincts• It makes you honest• It makes the audience feel you’re actually alive up there

The best jokes I’ve ever written started as things I was scared to say.The best sets I’ve had came from nights I almost didn’t walk onstage.The best moments of growth hit right after the voice in my head whispered,“Bro… this is probably a bad idea.”

Fear is a terrible roommate, but an elite personal trainer.

Fight or Flight in Bangkok: A Daily Masterclass

If you live in Bangkok long enough, you get a crash course in overcoming fear:

• Crossing Sukhumvit traffic• Ordering moo krop in Thai and praying you didn’t accidentally ask for someone’s grandmother• Sitting in a taxi as the driver confidently goes the wrong direction, smiling like he’s in a tourism commercial• Watching a gecko crawl across your ceiling and accepting that it lives with you now

Bangkok teaches you how to stay calm in chaos, which is basically standup comedy with better street food.

The Takeaway: Fear Isn’t the Enemy—Avoiding It Is

Fight or flight was designed to keep us alive.But staying alive and actually living are two different things.

Chasing fear:

• expands your limits• unlocks creativity• builds instincts• makes your comedy sharper• makes your life louder, weirder, better

Every time I step onstage in this city, I’m reminded that fear doesn’t disappear—it just becomes a signal.

A signal that something worth doing is on the other side.

Run Toward the Thing That Scares You Unless It’s a Soi Dog With an Attitude

The psychology of fear isn’t about being fearless.It’s about being scared and going anyway.

In comedy, in life, in Bangkok—the fear is the point.

Chase it long enough, and eventually it starts running from you.

— FunwithLex