Walking alone on a dark night, down a desolate road illuminated by dim streetlights, you notice broken alcohol bottles littering the path, alongside discarded cigarette butts. A few inebriated men are sprawled on the footpath, casting strange glances in your direction. As you continue, a palpable sense of anxiety grips you, mingled with confusion. Your heart pounds in your chest, and the flickering lights only amplify your unease. Beads of sweat form on your brow as you become acutely aware of your surroundings.
Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps causes you to tense. Glancing over your shoulder, you see a drunken man holding a bottle, his suggestive wink sending a chill down your spine. Hastening your pace, you quicken your steps, eager to put distance between yourself and the unsettling encounter.
This amalgamation of sensations — the pounding heart, the flickering lights, the sense of vulnerability — coalesces into a single word: “FEAR”.
It’s true, nearly everyone has experienced a moment like this at least once in their life.
FEAR, each letter representing a different emotion. “Frustration” is one cause, triggering a sense of cluelessness, pushing the brain into protective mode, spawning various thoughts that culminate in panic and fear. “Eagerness” can also induce fear; when eagerly anticipating something, neurones delve into past disappointments, steering one towards a negative outlook on the impending event, prompting a cascade of unsettling questions.
“Anxiety” is another source of fear. Picture this: you’ve meticulously crafted a eulogy, drawing on past experiences, meticulously preparing every detail from attire to fragrance. Yet, as you step onto the stage, the last few minutes are a battleground in your mind. One half offers reassurance while the other whispers doubts, causing your heart to race and mingling sweat with your fragrance, creating a disconcerting scent. Fear looms until the eulogy is delivered.
“Regret”, often overlooked, is a potent instigator of fear. Unlike rage, which dominates, regret forces a retrospective examination of actions, dissecting mistakes and unknowns. This introspection leads to a lonely mental space, inundated with “What if?” questions, each answer tinged with uncertainty, breeding fear.
FEAR — Frustration caused by Eagerness, leading to Anxiety, and ending up with Regret.
But is fear inherently good or bad? Why do we even experience it, and what would the world be like without it?
The main reason for fear is the uncertainty of the outcome. Everyone harbours a fear of death, though some may claim otherwise. Deep down, it’s not necessarily the act of dying that induces fear, since we all acknowledge its inevitability, but rather the unknown manner in which it will approach us. The aftermath of death is what truly instills fear within us.
Fear itself is neither entirely negative nor entirely positive. Consider this scenario: you’re taking an exam, and you haven’t adequately prepared for a challenging section of the syllabus. Your mind becomes divided into two fractions — one urging you to cheat on the exam, while the other insists you face it head-on, avoiding dishonesty. The part of you that leans towards cheating acts as a warning, prompting further contemplation about the potential consequences of being caught. In this sense, fear serves a constructive purpose, deterring you from making unethical choices. Rather than resorting to cheating and simply passing the exam, it’s better to embrace the challenge and learn, thereby gaining knowledge.
Now, let’s say you’re eager to learn how to drive. You envision the freedom of owning your own vehicle once you’ve mastered the skill. However, as you begin your driving lessons, you’re bombarded with news stories about accidents and fatalities. Your brain wrestles with these thoughts, instilling a sense of fear that prevents you from pursuing driving lessons. In this scenario, fear impedes your ability to acquire a new skill, which is detrimental.
In essence, the fear that prevents you from engaging in harmful behaviours is beneficial. However, fear that hinders your willingness to take risks and gain valuable experiences is detrimental. It all boils down to perspective — where you stand and how you perceive the destination ahead.
Fear is not merely an experience; it’s akin to a movie trailer, offering glimpses into the potential events that may unfold by taking a certain action. It aids in decision-making by prompting us to evaluate whether we wish to proceed or wait until we have gained more experience, or even choose not to attempt it at all. However, fear doesn’t necessarily facilitate gaining experience; rather, it tends to inundate us with thoughts that obscure our sense of certainty.
For instance, a friend living in Australia once recounted an incident where they found a small snake in their bathroom commode. Since then, I’ve harboured a fear whenever I use similar facilities, despite knowing that such occurrences are highly unlikely where I live. It’s the imaginative force created by the brain that induces fear, often fuelled by the question “What if?” This persistent query is incredibly challenging to ignore, lingering in one’s mind regardless of efforts to rationalise it away.
Fortunately, there are methods to overcome fear, with the most effective being to refrain from dwelling on the potential aftermath. Ultimately, we cannot predict the outcome of our actions; even the most skilled warrior may face defeat in battle. Failure, however, is beyond our control — it’s something that lies within the realm of God or nature. Thus, the key to overcoming fear lies in living in the present moment.
Consider the myriad fears we encounter — “the fear of” not finding love, of failing to be unique, of not earning enough money, of not standing out, of losing a game, of humiliation, of homelessness, of loneliness, of unfulfilled desires, of unhappiness, of being unable to assist others, of death, of losing loved ones, and countless others. What is the common thread among them all? The answer is simple: try it, experience it, and learn from it. After all, no one can teach us if we are unwilling to try. Knowledge devoid of application is akin to a mother carrying a lifeless baby in her womb — she knows it’s futile, yet she endures the pain.
Imagine a world without fear, not just within the human realm, but across all species in the animal kingdom. Would such a world truly be safe? It’s difficult to envision a scenario where a deer remains still as a lion charges towards it, intent on killing. However, what happens when the lion realises the absence of fear in the deer? Would it still pursue the kill? Eventually, the lion’s interest in hunting deer might wane. Just as we cannot enjoy a proper meal without spending our hard-earned money — relying on others for sustenance every day — eventually, we may lose interest in traditional methods and seek alternative ways to satisfy our hunger.
The same logic applies to the lion; a lack of interest in hunting could disrupt the entire food chain. Similarly, the absence of fear of making mistakes might lead us down the path of committing crimes. Furthermore, a lack of fear of death could leave us vulnerable to armed attackers. Terrorists thrive on instilling fear as a means to further their ideologies. However, if fear were nonexistent, their purpose would be rendered meaningless. Consequently, the world might gradually become mundane, lacking the excitement that comes from crossing boundaries and experiencing the release of dopamine in our brains. Without meaningful rules to break, satisfaction levels would plummet, and the world could devolve into a desolate landscape where the search for excitement ends in disappointment at every turn.
Fear is a fascinating emotion, its comprehension often reliant on one’s frame of reference. When we observe fear in others, we’re inclined to alleviate their distress. However, when we find ourselves in the throes of fear, it’s akin to drifting aimlessly on a boat without direction. Fear can obstruct rationality, causing us to view everyone through its lens, potentially obscuring reality. While fear serves a purpose, understanding its underlying causes is paramount. The only means to conquer fear is through action; although failure may ensue, the intensity of fear typically diminishes as a result.
