The distinction is unclear to me. What test can I apply when observing someone taking an action to determine whether or not they did it out of fear?

You can monitor the inputs to their decision making to see if fear is a factor.

In the rest of the developed world the news, TV, radio and media in general do not talk of things that create fear. Advertising is not based on fear. People do not talk of losing their job. People do not talk of going bankrupt (or financial trouble) because of health care/university loans. People do not talk about home invasions or terrorist attacks like they are a real thing.

In short, fear is not an input to the decision making process in developed countries. It is an extremely strong input in America.

So people in France, Israel, UK do not talk about terrorism as if it's a real thing? Wow, interesting, did not know that. So, people in Greece don't ever have economic stresses? Interesting. There are some really great points here that have no basis in reality. :) This is just ridiculous. The vast majority of Americans do not live in Glenn Beck level paranoia but Europe is not immune to the same stress producers that exist in the U.S.

> The vast majority of Americans do not live in Glenn Beck level paranoia but Europe is not immune to the same stress producers that exist in the U.S.

Are you speaking from your own experience, or just guessing?

I just spent a week in America, and I was dumbfounded by the amount of fear the media generates, daily.

It's a survival mechanism. The rest of the world is in denial.

survival from what?