Survival strategy
When Madness and Fear Go Hand in Hand
The lesson of David
Have you ever done something completely outlandish? One of those moments where you sigh afterward, thinking, “Why on earth did I behave like that?” We all know the feeling. Sometimes people pull the craziest stunts purely to grab attention. But sometimes, those wild actions are actually a deeply ingrained survival strategy designed to escape a precarious situation. Just consider the story of David. It is beautifully described in the Old Testament, in the book of Samuel, chapter 21.
In the lion’s den
Fleeing from King Saul, David sought refuge in a very hostile environment: the Philistine city of Gath, ruled by King Achish. That was an utterly desperate gamble, as he had placed himself directly in the lion’s den.
David had hoped to go into hiding incognito, but Achish offered him no shelter. Worse, he recognized David immediately. How could he not? The man was renowned throughout all of Israel as a national hero, but in Gath, he was primarily the archenemy who had eliminated their own champion, Goliath.
To escape death and save his own skin, David decided on a radical last-minute ruse: he feigned pure insanity. He began to act like a complete lunatic, letting saliva run down his beard and scratching on the city gates. Only through this magnificent act of deception was he able to rescue himself from that life-threatening situation. King Achish eventually thought, “This man has gone stark raving mad!” and drove him away. That’s how David managed to escape. Now, that was a feat of creativity under pressure!
Escape mechanisms
Fear often makes us incredibly creative in finding solutions. Psychology, too, has acknowledged this phenomenon by describing various escape mechanisms. These explain how we react to fear and threat – in other words, to situations where we are in danger of emotional or mental trauma.
The best known are the ‘Three F’s’: Fight, Flight, or Freeze. Fight means facing the confrontation, resisting what is coming at you. You immediately jump to the defense, proclaiming, “I won’t let this happen, I won’t be walked all over!” Another person chooses Flight: withdrawing, perhaps becoming anti-social, falling silent, no longer responding to messages, or breaking off contact with friends or family during a stressful period. Sometimes, when people are threatened, they Freeze: they stiffen up, shut down, or pretend that it doesn’t affect them at all. Nowadays, a fourth strategy is also increasingly mentioned: Please. In this case, people adjust their behavior; they conform to the demands of the other person, purely to gain safety and acceptance.
David’s situation under scrutiny
David was on the run from Saul, who wanted to kill him out of jealousy. Seeking shelter in the Philistine city of Gath turned out to be anything but a safe haven. The king viewed him as a threat and was ill-disposed toward him, precisely because David had previously fought against Israel.
The king and his servants recognized David. They knew the song that was sung about him: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousand.” The King of Gath had experienced that all too well! The servants of Achish therefore said, “We should not have this man in our midst.”
Nelson Mandela
In world history, countless people have managed to survive in a unique, psychological way, just like David with his ‘madness’.
One of the most famous examples is Nelson Mandela. He was imprisoned for more than twenty-seven years, eighteen of those on Robben Island, in an extremely hostile and distressed environment. He successfully survived and grew into a leader, a textbook example of applying psychological survival strategies.
Instead of sinking into despair—twenty-seven years of prison is, after all, an eternity focused on studying and educating fellow prisoners. He actively sought solutions: he established rules for the cell community and led protest actions against the poor conditions.
In the long term, he also applied the fourth strategy: strategic adaptation or pleasing. Later in his imprisonment, he initiated dialogue with his oppressors. This required immense patience, self-control, and strategic compliance. Ultimately, Nelson Mandela, too, managed to survive that critical situation.
David’s solution and discovery
For David, something similar was true, albeit in a different, much cruder way. He did not behave like a wise man who transformed his captivity into something positive, like Mandela. He reacted with the second F: Flight, fleeing into madness by drooling and scratching. He felt this was the only way to keep himself alive.
But, and this is crucial: this was his own, self-conceived solution. He thought he could manage it this way until he made the shocking discovery: “I have forgotten something very important!” He realized that he shouldn’t be seeking his own way out of this difficult situation. He needed to turn his focus to God.
And so, from this very real madness and terrible spiritual distress, a beautiful psalm was born.
Psalm 34: From madness to trust
That psalm, Psalm 34, tells us: “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.” (Ps. 34:4-6, NIV)
So, instead of scratching the city gate and letting saliva run, David eventually focused on God. That’s how he composed and sang this magnificent song.
The lesson for us
David is therefore a powerful example for us, too. Are we in a difficult situation, with fear gripping us by the throat? Fortunately, we don’t have to drool and scratch as he did. But we are permitted, just as he eventually did, to turn our heads toward the Lord. It was a ’terrible anguish,’ as he himself said. But the Lord delivered him from all that trouble. And that same God will also deliver us from our own distress.
We do not need to desperately fight, flee, or freeze. Just let your trust in precarious situations be focused on Jesus: “…when I called out to the LORD, he listened to me.”
@ Wim van Putten