Fear

[Katsumoto]

I've always been fascinated with fear and how it affects the human psyche, and how people can learn to overcome even their darkest fears. I've always told myself when I was afraid of something that it was all in the mind, that the only reason I am afraid is because my mind is telling me I am afraid, and I've then gone on to say myself that it's my mind so I should have control over it etc.

Now of course, as we all know, it's not as simple as that, what with the various chemicals and hormones in our body as well as the evolutionary pre-programmed reactions we have to certain stimuli. You can reassure yourself as much as you want beforehand but when you actually go to do the thing you're afraid of, of course, you become scared. Many people repeat the old saying to 'face your fear', yet I've done this many times but occassionally I am still afraid of whatever it was that I was 'facing'. Why is that? How do soldiers run through intense gunfire to save their comrades? What drives them to such feats, such bravery?

In my Psychology class we were taught that fear is an evolutionary response from man's earliest days, and that it is benefical to us since it protects us from danger, but nowadays people are intelligent enough to know not to jump off a cliff or attack a lion because we know what will happen if we do so, without the need for fear to scare us away.

I was really just wondering what other TWC posters thought in regards to the whole concept of fear and what it takes to overcome it. Feel free to discuss anything else related to the topic of fear, I'm sorry that I've left this OP so vague and messy, it's late and it's just a thought that occured to me so I wanted to make a thread on it to see what others think. Thanks.

[xcorps]

How do soldiers run through intense gunfire to save their comrades? What drives them to such feats, such bravery?

Bravery/Courage aren't the lack of fear, or the opposite of fear. They are actions in spite of fear. Actions that overcome the desire to do something other than what your mind is screaming at you not to do.

I read somewhere that sometimes bravery can actually be driven by fear. Not of death or mutilation, but the thought of being considered a coward, or the fear of losing a comrade. The fear of one of those overcomes the fear of death or injury, and drives someone to do what a disengaged observer might call fearless.

I read a story about the landing on Iwo Jima. One of the grunts on the line was too overcome by fear to do anything but cower on the beach. His squad leader was trying to collect all his men behind a berm, but this guy couldn't move. The sergeant screams, threatens..the squadmates scream and threaten. Finally, the sergeant stands up, walks to the guy and says "Do you want the Japs to think you're a coward? Get your ass on the line". The guy snapped out of it and was able to function.

[Katsumoto]

Yeah I agree, I apologize if it came across that I was suggesting bravery was an absence of fear. And yeah, I think fear of failure, in anything, not just the military, is a great motivator, for example in sport, where a boxer will slug it out with his opponent even though he's being pounded with hard shot after hard shot, because he is afraid of losing, of failing.

[xcorps]

I didn't think you were, I was just posting stuff that came to mind.

What do you fear? I don't mean jumping at the sight of a spider kind of instant reaction, but the deep seated ingrained fear that influences your decision making?
Why do you fear it? Is it the knowledge of the consequences of whatever it is that you fear, or is it the lack of knowledge of the consequences of what you fear?

[Katsumoto]

I suppose I fear not living adequately, that I'll end up wasting my time in this life and dying without ever having lived. This is a bit of a paradox since I'm a fairly lazy guy, not in that sense that I do things lazily, it's just rarely deciding to go out and actually do them. When I do go out and do whatever I'll do it to the best of my ability. Like I really don't like doing 'nothing' but then often I'll find myself not having the motivation to change that. If that makes sense.

What do you think, what do you fear?

[xcorps]

I suppose I fear not living adequately, that I'll end up wasting my time in this life and dying without ever having lived. This is a bit of a paradox since I'm a fairly lazy guy, not in that sense that I do things lazily, it's just rarely deciding to go out and actually do them. When I do go out and do whatever I'll do it to the best of my ability. Like I really don't like doing 'nothing' but then often I'll find myself not having the motivation to change that. If that makes sense.

What do you think, what do you fear?

Disappointing my wife. Everything I do revolves around making sure that I can adequetely take care of her. It keeps me up nights.

[chilon]

"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"

-Bene Gesserit


My first thought was to recite the fear chant from Dune when reading your topic. Cheers.

[Bucken]

I believe that all fear comes from not being able to control things. For example you are afraid of the dark because you lack control of the situation because you cannot see what is there. Therefore you cannot defend yourself or move in it safely. In war you cannot just make everything stop. You panic and become scared. Help me try and break this theory.

[Bucken]

Another example, Being afraid of their wife. Im never having kids.

[Kjertesvein]

If "fear" in common things like spiders, snakes, social rejection, and public speaking is caused by an evolutionary process, then what about dear devils and adrenaline junkies? In what part of evolutionary history do they fit in? Is it just another unnecessary extreme %, like Phobia on the other end of the scale?

I also can't avoid the fact what kind slim % these guys have to pass on genes?

~Wille

[Col. Tartleton]

If "fear" in common things like spiders, snakes, social rejection, and public speaking is caused by an evolutionary process, then what about dear devils and adrenaline junkies? In what part of evolutionary history do they fit in? Is it just another unnecessary extreme %, like Phobia on the other end of the scale?

I also can't avoid the fact what kind slim % these guys have to pass on genes?

~Wille

No, because they're terrified. Their bodies just respond to it as "Fear... oh, I like this... I want more of this."

It's like I have a fear of falling (fear of heights never made sense) but I find the split second of free fall sensation to be wonderful. I kind of want to sky dive some day. I think that would be a transcendent experience. Love and Hate, Fear and Attraction, all closely linked subjective feelings.