Fear is Natural

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

Our very nature as a species is a state of fear, fear drives our every thought, action and beliefs. Fear comes in as many forms as there are stars in the night sky. How fear works in my mind is like this, if you are aware, you have an understanding of things and you have experienced such things then the fear is minimized. If you don't understand, if you have not experienced it then such things trigger a fear that debilitates and immobilizes us opening the door to serious harm and even death. 

 Of all our emotions, feelings and moods that of fear dominates our species because it is the one primary emotion, feeling and mood that drives our survival. When in modern man and society we experience that fear it is often dependent on certain traits that mitigate the level of said fear from manageable to unmanageable. This helps us understand why we use the term "fear" according to its level

When it is minimal and manageable we often use another synonym for fear to explain it to ourselves and to present it to others without the stigma that comes from the term, "fear itself." 

In general we define fear as, "an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat." AND "be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening." 

Key terms or "WORDS" to zone in on are unpleasant, something along with dangerous, painful and/or threatening because they are general enough to span the spectrum of fear that is the human condition. When we fail to get up on time in the morning we then become "concerned" we will be late for work and that opens the door to consequences from the boss as to your status and continuance in said job. That concern is actually a very low level form of fear because if we lose the job, we lose our ability to earn and that reduces or eliminates our ability to provide for ourselves and our families - survival instincts kick in due to ... fear. 

Fear is as fear does and no matter what we do to train, practice and experience life we have to deal with our base fear or fears. What matters is our ability to accumulate the knowledge, understanding and experiences involving every day to high end conflict and violence so that we build a mind-state and mind-set that deals with all levels and states of fear to a manageable level allowing our minds to use the logical-mind along with a controlled monkey/lizard mind to achieve survival. 

Side Notes: Other terms for fear are, "misgivings, angst, anxiety, concern, doubt, dread, scare, suspicion, unease, worry, aversion, consternation, creeps, distress, faintheartedness, foreboding, fright, revulsion, chickenheartedness, cold sweat, etc." If we have experienced, have knowledge of, have an understanding of and we have resources and answers on how to handle such things then we have minimized our fear to a state that allows us to use another term like unease or concern for rather that the unknown triggering a great fear that often leads to the freeze and inaction resulting in a worst case situation and scenario of grave harm or death. 

We must learn and understand to a point where encountering fear inducing events, situations and environments we are able to act quickly and decisively for our survival. If we stick our head in the sand and try to ignore the very things that make us uncomfortable such as conflict and violence because it makes us feel uncomfortable then when it happens we tend to become immobilized by fear, we freeze. 

Another aspect of human nature is our DNA driven survival instincts to freeze, flee or fight and that we as a species, like all animals in the animal kingdom, are also driven by violence. It is as natural to us as breathing this fear and violent nature. Remember, to disagree with another with mild aggressive discussions to validate our point over theirs is a form of violence. Remember, to ignore the natural tendency of our species to escalate that mild discussion up to and past yelling to throwing hands or using weapons to get our way is the other end of that violent nature. Our ability to moderate both fear and our ability to apply violence is where our character and personality come in and that is often about knowledge, understanding and accumulated experiences. 

Acceptance and embracing of our fear and violent nature are critical to our survival both as individuals, to the family and tribe all the way to our modern social structure. Justice comes from our ability to understand, analyze and then reach legal and social harmony that allows our species to survive. Divergence from that state has been shown in our history to end a society and culture so trying to ignore our nature in the name of some concept that also diverges from our natural state of nature simply speeds up the process of evolutionary extinction of a species that includes the human species. 

Ever hear of "hyper-awareness?" Not a good thing if it persists for long periods of time. Triggering hyper-awareness is a good thing when appropriate to a situation or event. Knowing when to trigger it and when to turn it off is tantamount to a self-defense defense that requires one to turn of force used once the need for said force ends, knowing when to go and then to not-go. It is the same with hyper-awareness, etc., as well as fear and violence, etc. You have to have that knowledge, understanding and experiences to make it work or you "burn-out." 

There is a reason the military and other protective/defensive services use various levels to warrant an alertness to deal with the same levels of conflict and violence and especially the levels of a threat or threats to protect and defend. Ever hear of the "def-con" levels? How about the color levels used to broadcast threat levels to trigger awareness and vigilance?

Fear permeates every facet of life, our culture and our belief systems ergo creating our very reality. Dealing with reality means we deal with it all. Fear is a good thing, fear is a bad thing and how we all learn to deal with it as well as threats, emotions, feelings, moods, conflict and violence, etc., is how we survive no matter at what level and severity. 

Although, a litany for a movie, it still is apropos: 

"I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

For reference and sources and professionals go here: Bibliography (Click the link)