the.com/startle
Your body hitting the panic button before your brain reads the memo.
means To suddenly shock or frighten someone, usually triggering an involuntary jump or flinch.
from From Old English 'steartlian,' to kick or struggle, born from 'start' — that primal lurch your body makes before consent.
Reflex speedThe startle response fires in under 100 milliseconds.
Universal blinkEveryone flinches the same way; it's hardwired, not learned.
Frozen firstMany animals startle into stillness before they bother fleeing.