Preface
Greetings everyone. The following is offered for the consideration of all who might be interested.
This thread comes from my current perspective, and is offered as such with no claimed authority. It is a recalibration of one facet of a personal revelation I had last month, which prompted the process of completely restructuring of my own life as I once knew it, as well as the way in which I tend to view the world today.
I made one misguided pass at this previously, in much too short a time following that epiphany. I hadn't given myself enough time to process and reflect. I left that thread intact for anyone so inclined but I frankly do not recommend it. A great deal has been processed and restructured since then.
There are numerous other topics, pieces of this figurative puzzle which are not yet digested/integrated enough to present. I will just have to see when the time may or may not come to delve into those as well.
No doubt, there will be contained here some degree of correlation/cross-over with some things you've heard or read before, while likely also contradicting others. Again, I offer my perspective and make no claim to a monopoly on the truth of this. Even what I've come to believe in this vein is subject to some revision.
I welcome input from anyone so inclined. Although my intent is not precisely to start a debate, I intend even less to teach or proselytize (though it may appear to some as otherwise). The topic of how this came together for me is a separate one entirely, but not one I am closed off to engaging in at some point in the future.
Introduction
I wish here to discuss and explore Fear, in its essence and effect. It is of course always most effective to start by defining key terms, or in this case the chief term; "Fear".
I think it is helpful to start by considering that Fear can take many forms. It wears many faces and puts on different voices when it visits us within.
I'm choosing to capitalize it here to help indicate the specific conceptualization I hope to eventually convey/construct here, undoubtedly divergent from the textbook definition or most other individually or culturally held meanings. We each carry certain associations and parameters for every concept like 'fear', beyond any simple definition we may consciously give when queried to do so.
My own associations and parameters regarding 'Fear' have changed immensely from what they had been prior to the start of this unexpected chapter of my life. If anything, they have expanded to encompass quite a few unconscious or semi-conscious modes of behavior.
I don't believe all of the following connotations are widely accepted, but I hope to eventually illustrate why I see things this way now.
Forms of Fear
(excluding feelings of outright shock or terror)
- Doubt
- Shame - fear of being judged, of social awkwardness, body issues, self-esteem issues, avoidance of acknowledging or reflecting upon past mistakes and/or personal shortcomings
- Guilt - fear of not being forgiven, or facing the damage done by past mistakes or personal shortcomings
- Pride - egoic fear, fear of rejection, fear of critical/honest self inspection
- Paranoia - seems most often to boil down to the fear of a malevolent universe/God/superior power or authority.
Note: The elaborations following each of the above are not exhaustive necessarily, but rather offered to help relate them back to the relevant overarching concept. I will explore these more later on.
There are quite possibly even more 'faces' which this same underlying force appears to wear, but those listed above are the varieties I'd like to focus upon for the time being.
Just because you don't feel afraid, doesn't mean you aren't a slave to fear.
It was true for me. By some inexplicable mercy, those chains binding me were loosened (not removed), such that I was not only made more fully aware of them but have begun to slowly slide them off.
I'm not there yet, but I'd like to believe that if we were all in Plato's Cave together, I wouldn't just bolt ("every man for himself" style) as soon as the jig was up. I think it can help to recognize the shadows for what they are by actually deconstructing them amongst ourselves.
I mean 'deconstruction' as in; I believe there are actionable ways to dissolve those shadow forms dancing on the walls. In some ways they are out there already, but for now that is enough for this particular metaphorical sideline, as well as my own knack for getting ahead of myself.
On the contrary, I aim to take this thread slowly, and hopefully in logical steps of progression.
As one further, yet more relevant aside, yes; I would perhaps liken Fear more to a 'force' than to a simple (or even complicated) emotion. At least when conceptually speaking, this helps to underline its surprising capacities which are not widely considered or indeed even recognized.
Thread Thesis
It is my belief that most people in the world today are essentially being controlled by Fear, and it is one of the central sources of "evil" as we tend to think of it and as we see it enacted, in so very many ways all across this planet.
In Closing
As a final, reiterative note; I do gladly welcome your input here, but also would like to keep the discussion within the realms of proper focus and constructive positivity, as much as possible (though I realize the conundrum with the latter when dissecting considerably negative subject matter).
Thank you all for your time, patience, and presence.
See also: Part II - The Nature of Faith