After all, workplaces are some of the most emotionally charged environments we’ll encounter. Deadlines, political dynamics, performance reviews, and high-stakes meetings can all unconsciously echo earlier experiences of threat or exclusion. And because we rarely choose our work environments randomly, many of us are drawn to cultures that mirror and reinforce our formative imprints —both the empowering ones and the painful ones. When the environment feels psychologically unsafe, these threat responses are often reactivated , not because we’re malfunctioning, but because we’re human.