Y.S.

Conquering Our Fears

        Some people are afraid of the future, some of ill-health, some of death. Others go in terror of certain physical circumstances- confined spaces, darkness, heights, water. Yet others are in a continual state of panic about the safety of those near and dear to them.

        And some are just afraid. They could not put their fears into words. They don’t really know of what it is they are afraid but a dark shadow seems to hang over them, and they live in a perpetual state of uneasiness. Normal fear is a protection against danger. But these morbid, enervating, illogical phobias which destroy so much human happiness are enemies to be fought resolutely. Here is a threefold weapon for the battle.

        First comes the acceptance of our fears. There are those who try to help us by saying, “There is nothing to be afraid of” or “Your fears are quite imaginary.” This is often the worst kind of advice. Fear is never imaginary. It may be foolish and illogical. The thing we fear may not actually exist, but the fear is real and often there is something to be afraid of. To pretend there is not is unrealistic and dangerous. To try merely to dismiss fears from our minds by pretending they do not exist is to lay up more trouble for ourselves. Well-intentioned as such advice often is, it is most dangerous. It has the result of driving the fear into the subconscious mind. We don’t banish it; we only bury it. Our object should be to dispose of it altogether, not just to cover it up.

Join now!

        The first step in dealing with fear seems to be the exact opposite of pretending it does not exist. Face it and bring it into the light. Accept the fact and reality of your fear- don’t try to run away from it. The second step follows naturally from acceptance- it is analysis. Try to discover the real nature of your fear. Why are you afraid of this particular thing? Sometimes the cause of a fear is very deep-seated. It may have its origin far back in the life of the individual, often in childhood. For example, fear of the dark ...

This is a preview of the whole essay