Writer's Block: No regrets
Mar. 27th, 2010 09:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tabular_rasa[Error: unknown template qotd]
I generally think all emotions serve an important purpose in telling ourselves and projecting to others when conditions are good or bad for us. But I wonder-- what if we got rid of fear?
There are some very important reasons why fear exists. It teaches us to tread cautiously when a situation is dangerous. It forces us to acknowledge the easy possibility of death and loss. However, fear sometimes oversteps its usefulness when it also teaches us to avoid things just because they are unusual or confusing. It inhibits us when there is no other reason to be inhibited.
And there are reasons besides gut fear for why we should not do many of the things we are afraid of, and so even without fear we would avoid them. For instance, some people obey the law because of the fear of punishment-- but they could also be driven to obey the law because they believe the law is just. Some people lock their doors out of fear of burglars and murderers-- but they could also lock their doors not out of fear of intruders, but out of the practical logic that it would prevent them. I think we could still perpetuate the species and lead safe lives by living rationally rather than by fear. And living without fear would then free us from the things which we do not have rational reasons to fear; we would only hate and avoid the things which give us a real reason to do so. People would not hate the unknown or unconventional simply because they fear it.
I feel like I should go into this more but I'm tired and drinking peach Chuuhai.
PS: Livejournal, STOP ANSWERING THE WRITER'S BLOCK QUESTION FOR US IN THE TITLE.
I generally think all emotions serve an important purpose in telling ourselves and projecting to others when conditions are good or bad for us. But I wonder-- what if we got rid of fear?
There are some very important reasons why fear exists. It teaches us to tread cautiously when a situation is dangerous. It forces us to acknowledge the easy possibility of death and loss. However, fear sometimes oversteps its usefulness when it also teaches us to avoid things just because they are unusual or confusing. It inhibits us when there is no other reason to be inhibited.
And there are reasons besides gut fear for why we should not do many of the things we are afraid of, and so even without fear we would avoid them. For instance, some people obey the law because of the fear of punishment-- but they could also be driven to obey the law because they believe the law is just. Some people lock their doors out of fear of burglars and murderers-- but they could also lock their doors not out of fear of intruders, but out of the practical logic that it would prevent them. I think we could still perpetuate the species and lead safe lives by living rationally rather than by fear. And living without fear would then free us from the things which we do not have rational reasons to fear; we would only hate and avoid the things which give us a real reason to do so. People would not hate the unknown or unconventional simply because they fear it.
I feel like I should go into this more but I'm tired and drinking peach Chuuhai.
PS: Livejournal, STOP ANSWERING THE WRITER'S BLOCK QUESTION FOR US IN THE TITLE.
