In other words, the people went into an alpha state for security because they didn't want to confront the reality before them.

He didn't want to confront her in public, not like this.

Did he want to confront this woman from his past?

Alex didn't want to confront the four men on his own.

She didn't want to confront it without knowing what they were dealing with.

It's the elephant in the room that nobody wants to confront.

You might want to confront one of them about this.

He wanted to confront them with the ideas that had come to him during the past hour and see how they reacted.

He wants to confront something that is out of control.

I do not want to confront the shrine again, especially with that thing at my back.