Easily frightened or made nervous, tending to be jumpy or wary of potential threats. Often describes a state of heightened alertness combined with readiness to flee or avoid.
Originally from Middle English, possibly related to 'skit' meaning 'to move lightly or rapidly.' Initially used to describe horses that were easily spooked, then extended to human behavior showing similar nervous, flighty tendencies.
Skittishness represents an adaptive hypervigilance that helped our ancestors survive, but in modern contexts it often signals underlying anxiety or trauma responses. Interestingly, this trait shows up in both humans and animals who've experienced unpredictable environments.
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