Fear: what are we really afraid of?

Quite some time ago, I was asked a question that got me thinking about the logic behind such a saying. An ex-literature student asked, "what do you gather from the saying 'there is nothing to fear but fear itself'?" Not the best question to ask a science student, but of course, I tried my best to come up with a satisfactory answer. However, rethinking it, I feel there is much more to this saying than the mere need to comprehend it that I felt at that point in time. Or perhaps, its significance goes way deeper, becoming an explanation of our behaviour and how we treat challenges that come our way.

So what does this saying mean? I do not claim to have the best and most accurate interpretation, but from my understanding, it means that when an individual performs an arduous task, it might not be the nature of the task that prevents individuals from completing it, but rather, the emotions associated with completing something of that nature. Yes, it is not about what happens, but how we react to what happens. And more often than not, it is our pessimism that leads us astray. To put it into context, we can say that the saying "there is nothing to fear but fear itself" means to say that often, it isn't the daunting nature of the task that prevents us from completing it, but the fact that we become paralysed by the thought of performing such a task that we do not even dare to take the first step to complete it, and even if we do, we often get so nervous about the thought of taking up such an endeavour that we make mistakes that we would not do under normal circumstances.

Indeed, if one did not experience fear, one might not be clouded by emotions so much so that he or she is unable to see or comprehend the situations he or she is in. However, we should also bear in mind that without fear, our other emotions might no longer be in check, and we might fall to our vices since there is but nothing to fear, not even consequences. In the end, fear is a double-edged sword that has the potential to do good as well as do harm to people who feel it. And it is my belief that there is no individual who has never experienced such an emotion in their life. Certainly, what a person fears depends on his or her values and goals, but there cannot be anyone who knows no fear. After all, fear is at times what drives us to improve on our weaknesses. But we should bear in mind that fear should be used to drive us in positive ways, and not serve as another obstacle on an already painful journey ahead.

This post is dedicated to all students taking the A-levels in due time (starting from PW oral presentation tomorrow): To all students, if you feel fear (or all other emotions related to it in any way) in the exams, remember, there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Clear your mind of all emotion and see the present for nothing more than facts. Good luck and all the best for your endeavours. May you succeed in what you undertake.