At the end of one of my classes at the university some kids wanted to talk about fear. I told them there's nothing wrong with fear. It's normal to be afraid of some things. If you aren't, you're a little off. Fear is a response connected with self preservation and an acknowledgement of our limits. But fear that immobilizes us, that creeps over into our capability, that prevents us from action is anxiety. That is something we have to work on.
I quoted Frank Herbert. In his book 'Dune,' Herbert creates a mantra about fear that characterizes that kind of immobilizing fear. "Fear is the mind killer, fear is the little death. I will face my fear and let it pass through me and over me and beyond me and I will turn to see where it has gone and there will be nothing left in its path but myself."
They liked that. I told them I'd give them extra credit if they memorized it. That really scared them.
2 comments:
David,
I sent this to my son, Sam. You talked to him about fear of dying when he was four. He never forgot it.
peace,
Teddy
We have nothing to fear but fear itself ... and a few other things.
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