No Fear, Part Deux

Still pondering “no fear” musings I started to post on the other day. The comments I received on that post were excellent food for thought on this topic as well. Thank you friends!

I once heard somewhere that the only fear we are born with is the fear of falling, and all other fears are learned. If that is the case, what does that mean in the context of the apparent fact that so many individuals just seem to have no fear — regardless of how adults or authority figures in their world may have tried to teach boundaries or healthy fear and understanding of consequences? Is this apparent “lack of fear” simply a cost/benefit analysis situation for those individuals? Is it that many see the immediate positive consequences outweighing the pending (possible) negative consequences?

Fear: friend or foe–

It is the degree of fear perceived that lends fear to this emotion and makes it frightening. You have heard of people getting paralyzed by it, but sometimes it is this very emotion which propels others to spring to action and meet deadlines.

This emotion, like a habit good or bad, can be put to constructive or destructive use. It can both facilitate and debilitate, evoke both positive and negative reactions.

So many times my wondering leaves me with more questions than answers. I think for the most part I am fairly comfortable with those unanswered questions. A little bit of wisdom a friend shared with me sends me forth without needing to know “why” others do (or don’t do) what they do:

“Sometimes giving in (to the uncertainties, to the lack of control over situations, to the unknown) is not giving up. It is just keeping your side of the street clean.”

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