Since most of what people have heard about radiation is mythology, instinctive reactions against radiation do not seem to have any rational technical basis. Efforts to rationally discuss a person’s fears of radiation, when they are in their automatic response mode, will likely result in frustration for both parties. However, there are ways to explore the basis of fears when a person has moved beyond their immediate fear response. The question to uncover the underlying images of fearful consequences for specific circumstances is to ask, “What’s so bad about that?” This question should be posed very gently and may need to be repeated several times to peel away several layers to get down to the real underlying image that drives the fear . Underlying bases for fear may include dying, loss of control, loss of health, loss of family, loss of income, etc. Another tool for response to a fearful person is called “Active Listening.” With this approach we respond to the apparent feeling conveyed along with a brief statement of the content. Since technical people often have difficulty identifying the feeling part of a message, it might be helpful to note that all feelings can be captured by one of the following words, “Mad, Sad, Glad, and Afraid.” There are also five key responses that can be used “when you do not know what to say” which are not confrontive or defensive.