My posts about racism brought to light another interesting topic.
Propaganda, urban legends and negative experiences aside, there are more reasons why fear develops.
Dawn and DocAndersen mentioned on this post that it’s common for us to be afraid of what we’re unfamiliar with: the fear of the unknown, so to speak.
This is absolutely true. We tend to feel uncomfortable whenever we’re unable to explain and understand a phenomenon (paranormal activities are scary for this reason).
If knowledge is power, the lack of it makes us powerless, vulnerable.
While some people take this too far and become “control freaks”, it’s usually the survival instinct that tries to keep us alive.
Humans are a highly adaptable species, yet we don’t like unpredictability. Fears such as social phobia, agoraphobia or arachnophobia are common examples. We have no certainty of the outcome, we’re unable to prepare for it, again, we’re afraid of the unknown.
Other fears involve death. This mostly has to do with survival. At the same time, death symbolizes change, which means leaving what we know for something we don’t.
Moreover, death is something we aren’t always able to control.
Click here to discover a few odd phobias, to entertain yourself and cheer up.
And that was it. I’m taking a needed short break from the Racism In Italy series, I just wish I had more time to write and post more often, and visit your posts too.
-
Question of
Do you fear anything?
-
Yes
-
No
-
-
Question of
Are you afraid of changes?
-
Yes
-
No
-
“Those who are fearless in being bold shall meet their death while those who are fearless in being timid shall not. Heaven hates what it hates. Who knows the reason why?” – Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching.
Living is what kills you while surviving is what keeps you alive! ?
Well, I fear of my loved ones and the situations I cannot change
I am not exactly afraid of changes but I am anxious.
The term to describe the feeling of being uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations is likely to be anxiety, not fear, so I guess you’re right about that.
I gave the word “fear” more meaning than it has. ?
We have the saying that fear is hollow, there is no fear outside. I think everyone has some fear.
That’s one interesting saying. Fear is definitely a personal thing, some sort of individual reaction to a perceived threat. ?
I have a fear of heights, but not a phobia. Fear is good while phobia is paralyzing. A little fear before a competition or a public speaking event is good. It gives you the energy to push through but phobias are tie you down and limit your potential.
Fear and phobia is like sadness and depression. I didn’t go looking for definitions this time, so I thank you for the info and explanation! ? True, phobias can be debilitating.
Oh , I am very scared of this
You mean the cute spider? Well, it’s cute in a picture but I wouldn’t feel at ease if I met one in real life, staring at my soul, waiting for a hug or something. ?
I always want sometimes to be an answer!
I will consider adding that option next time, I apologize!
Thanks for the mention!
Fear and in particular how it relates to change is a great conversation. I do not fear your cover picture (spiders) nor do I fear snakes. But I fear, for some reason (I’ve only seen them in the zoo or from a safe place) alligators and crocodiles.
Not all snakes and spiders are venomous, but all alligators and crocodiles have strong jaws and sharp teeth. I also heard of these animals breaking into houses in states such as Florida. It would be quite reasonable to fear something you may face someday.
I only got to see a small caiman at a zoo. ?
fear is a really funny thing, right? We fear change. But we fear to stay where we are. We fear to understand, but we fear what it takes to know.