After all, workplaces are some of the mostemotionally chargedenvironments 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 thatmirror and reinforce our formative imprints—both the empowering ones and the painful ones. When the environment feels psychologically unsafe, these threat responses areoften reactivated, not because we’re malfunctioning, but because we’re human.