Our lives are dictated by fear. How much of it is justified? Fear of being homeless, or hungry, impoverished, or hit by a truck if I walk in front of it - these are fundamentally rooted in fear of physical suffering, pain, even death. But what about socially?
How much of our decision-making is based on fear of social persecution? Scared of what someone might say if we speak how we feel in everyday situations, scared of who would reject us were we to act this way or that? Fear of alienation from the fellow humans we long to be accepted by?
And aside from cultural norms that involve our selves being reflected back to us by others, an introspective fear? Scared of venturing from a psychological or emotional place of comfort and security to explore what lies beneath? Do we fear knowing and dealing with our selves? And if so, why? Is it because we cling to a self-image that is so attached to Ego, so loaded with emotional mental, and practical investment, that we cannot bear to undermine its validity? Can we not subvert our selves?
Where do we draw the lines? How constricted will we be? When we make decisions do we realize or admit what fears are influencing us? It is easy for me to pose these questions to others without acting on them myself, but if I didn't contradict myself I wouldn't be human. I think the process of accepting and overcoming fear (or even admitting that we are scared and would like a little help) starts on an individual level, and extends to an interpersonal level, and eventually becomes a social affair. We are too defined by limits, let us be defined by infinity. =D
