Published: April 09, 2008 11:39 am      

YESTER YEARS: Fear and just plain scared

The word fear is derived from the Old English word "faer." The definition of "faer" is calamity. Humans can become intimidated by fear, causing them to go along with another's wishes without their own input. Children can be taught fear. As we age we are fearful of death, failure, getting old, being vulnerable, and being passed over by associates. We are inspired by those who do whatever it takes to rise above and beat these odds. I think this can cause even more fear; it can erode our humanity.

Probably the best fear quote of all time was made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his first inaugural speech on March 4, 1933. He said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." It seems we have become a "culture of fear." Daily our news media remind us of all the things happening in this world. Most of which is bad news.

If we have children or grandchildren, we are fearful of predators. Burglary has become a way of life for the drug culture. Global warming, spouse abuse, rape, drive-by shootings, and numerous other crimes are rightfully actions that cause our fears. Politicians have used the 9/11 disaster to ride to victory. Immigration is being used to put fear in our lives. Gangs bring drugs and violence into our country. I hear one presidential candidate reminding Americans of planes crashing into buildings, causing them to collapse, and of the 2,973 who died.

The brain is more sensitive to fear than reasoning when we panic. When a person states he/she has no fear, I consider them dangerous. Some may say that fear provides survival; it outweighs reasoning. That is absurd; fear is an emotion that we all have. Not all fear is warning of death or other maladies. It is an instinctive reaction caused by a rise in adrenaline levels increasing. Fear is not found to be a thought-out decision; time will not permit an occurrence to give us time to think and reasonably make a logical decision.

What are the symptoms that we show when we're overcome by fear? One's eyes widen, the pupils dilate, the upper lip rises, the brows draw together, and lips stretch horizontally. Today scientists are trying to discover the gene of fear. I am not sure this will help. If you corner a rat, it will try to escape; if that fails it will attack to survive. People do the same; they react to their fears various ways. Some become silent, some will fight, and some will die. It is called "scared to death." Many studies have shown that young and old can die from certain exposures.

Not a single soldier goes into battle without fear, not a single athlete fails to have butterflies. Race car drivers sweat blood almost. Not a single mother giving birth is without fear. Not one minister is 100 percent sure he/she is not going to cause trauma. Fear is a subject that we all need to know more about and how to react.

Sources: Wikipedia, my research, The Root of Fear