THE FEAR FACTOR

Have you ever felt that strong unfavorable emotion that grips you and makes you incapable of thinking or acting or doing any other thing? Please give me the liberty to commit a fallacy by saying that every human has experienced this emotion before. This emotion is fear. I believe that fear is universal. I have a special liking for this subject because I have missed out on some very little but important opportunities from childhood that could have done a lot of good for me. With time I have been able to overcome some of those little fears. I would like to share with you my perspective of fear now. This perceptive is supposed to prepare you for the next post on managing fear.

Fear, like success and failure, is one of the words you probably hear often. There is fear and insecurity about losing a loved one, losing that job, failing and you can fill in the blank. You see, fear is one factor that makes us human. Most people haven’t done the things they so desire to do because of fear. Fear has cost people once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. I don’t know what your story is; but maybe you look back and wish that you had done the one desire that fear stole from you. Fear showed you one of its faces- the downside of fear. Unfortunately, some people only know this side of fear.

The Upside of Fear

Everything the universe offers is a gift that’s supposed to add to life; not take from it. I believe that fear is one of those gifts. The only thing is that we have been fed with and heard a single story of fear for so long.

There is also the upside of fear. To some people, fear is a motivating factor. Fear is what pushes them to produce extraordinary results. Kingsley, my friend from high school, told me one day in high school that it is fear that pushes him to produce extraordinary results. Throughout history, the fear of being average has pushed people to higher heights of excellence. “My greatest fear as a professional athlete is the fear of losing. It’s always there, the only way you get over it is by focusing and by working harder and training harder than anyone else” says Usain Bolt.  

Dale Carnegie in his book; “The quick and easy way to Effective PUBLIC SPEAKING”, made an assertion that a light amount of fear is important for effective public speaking. According to Carnegie, his interaction with some of the greatest speakers in the world confirms it. He claims that anyone who says otherwise might not be telling the truth. The term "fear appeal" in psychology provides some explanation. It is assumed that some forms of fear motivates cognitive, and behavioral responses directed towards alleviating the threat or reducing the fear. What is fear to you? Is it your weakness or your strength? Is what you are feeling even fit to be called fear? Let’s take a look at the anatomy of fear.

The Anatomy of Fear

Let me tell you a story:

In 2013, about two days after the 2013/2014 West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE- final exam for high school students in West Africa) was released, my Auntie confronted me to check my results; I casually told her, “ It doesn't make a difference if I check, because my results will go straight to the university to be considered. Checking my results will not affect my admission”.

To tell you the truth, I was filled with apprehension at the thought of checking my result. It will surprise you to know that this was an exam I was so sure I was going to excel in. In fact, I already had another certificate that could guarantee my entry into university to do the course of my choice. Notwithstanding, I still felt a wave of apprehension. What was happening to me? Was I afraid?

That was fear. However, that fear was unjustifiable. Think about it this way; how could I possibly be afraid considering the kind of confidence I had in the exam and the certificate I already had? I have come to realize that I was experiencing a type of fear which was unreal- I was using my thoughts against myself.

Unreal Fear

The person experiencing this type of fear perceives a danger that doesn't exist for real- it only exists in the mind; it is unjustifiable. Taking my story for example, I was wasting my thoughts and imaginations on a non-existent danger. This type of fear can put you in a perpetual state of worry. One simple way to understand this is to logically analyze the situation. Take my story and think about it this way; how could I possibly be afraid considering the fact that I had a certificate that could guarantee my entry into the University of my choice to do the course of my choice?

Real fear

This type of fear is caused by an actual danger. I say this type of fear is justifiable. Typical examples include the fear that comes before a dangerous stunt, the fear of losing a loved one because they are seriously sick and the fear that grips you when you hear a sound walking alone in the dark. Now, how would you feel if a loved one takes one of your cars without your permission without the knowledge that the car's brakes are faulty? You don’t need to answer that; it is obvious. Real fear, even though real, can be managed. Courageous and brave people have done this over the years. Stunt doubles like Hannah Kozak, Tom Waite and David Morizot have done this over the years.

The Very Nature of the “Hindering Fear”

It is true that there is fear but there is also one thing I know for sure and that is; fear can be managed. Before we look at how fear can be managed, I would like to plant a thought in your mind and I hope that it grows. This may be controversial but please open your mind and be receptive. Here is the thought: fear, be it real or unreal, could be an illusion.

I have come to realize that the kind of fear that hinders us from acting on our desires to achieve success is future oriented. We normally have the fear of things that are yet to happen. We are afraid of something that hasn't happened and will probably not happen. Let’s take the fear of the unknown for example- people fear what they don’t know. As a result people have the tendency to fear what the future holds. If you are worrying about your future job or future wife, you are wasting your precious time on something that doesn't exist in the now but only in your mind. Another example is the fear of mistakes. I think this normally happens due to ill-preparedness and lack of faith (as discussed earlier); but you will admit that you can plan, prepare and still feel an iota of fear. My question is: “what shows that you will make a mistake?”, unless you are a ‘Prophet’, you can’t tell what the future holds. So why won’t you rather expect something beautiful? Repeat certain mantras like; I will do great, I won’t make any mistakes. I think that will do you a great deal of help.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that it is only rational and natural to have feelings that put you in a state of caution when there is a situation that poses a potential threat. However, you don’t have to allow it to get to points where it holds you back. “Separate fear from feelings that put us into a state of caution”, “don’t be overcome with a state of fear” says David Morizot the stunt double for Stephen Baldwin in the movie Cutaway.

Ultimately, you should know that fear exists. You must also know that not all fear are real (justifiable). You need to manage your real fears. On the other hand, you need to use simple reasoning to snap yourselves out of unreal fears.

In the next post, I shall discuss some very practical reasoning that can be used to manage fear. We shall also look at what some Hollywood stunt doubles have to say. You definitely don’t want to miss that because it is the real deal.

Fear is a very broad subject, so let us know your candid reservations and thoughts. Merry Christmas!