Your goosebumps think they’re being helpful.
While the appearance of goosebumps is often associated with the thought of something creepy, we must say that goosebumps appear pretty strange. Call it a byproduct of evolution if you have to, but if humans ever had fur in the past, goosebumps would actually be less strange and more rational. And yet, in this modern iteration of the human body, goosebumps still occur involuntarily when the small muscles at the bottom of a hair follicle contract, causing the hair to stand up.
In animals, where feathers are often in the place of hair, raising goosebumps means raising feathers. Our bodies trigger this defense mechanism when there is a perceived threat, allowing them to appear bigger and more intimidating. Something similar happens to humans sans the feathers. When cold air passes, or when we experience strong emotions like shock or fear, and even in a sudden surge of awe or inspiration, we might feel goosebumps crawling on our skin, thinking perhaps that our bodies could use an extra layer of protection.
