Fear

Illus.: How Stuff Works

Fear corrodes human interaction. Homophobia, the irrational fear of homosexual feelings or homosexual people, prevents constructive communication between homosexual and heterosexual people. Racism, based in the fear of "the other" as defined by skin color, divides communities and saps the energy out of a society.

Fear of commitment, symptomatic of narcissism or insecurity, prevents people from having lasting and mutually supportive relationships. Fear fuels addiction to substances as substitutes for human relationships. Fear keeps some people from becoming mindful and compassionate.

Denial of our fears leads nowhere. Some of us plow through life as a way of coping with our fears. Aggression and violence are symptoms of fear.

Taking a regular, honest inventory of my fears has helped me to progress beyond some of them. I have made this a habit. It is part of my practice. I have come to recognize the cues in my own behavior that signal a fear reaction to a situation or anticipated event. Sometimes, I have to get through the fearful situation without focusing on my fear in advance of it. However, some fearful situations become less stressful when I have time to reflect on my fear and face it beforehand. The awareness and acknowledgment of my fears are keys to making progress beyond them.