“I’m not afraid of anything!” Throughout my life, I’ve heard people say the aforementioned to a.) overcompensate for something else, b.) impress their peers, or c.) showcase their ignorance when it comes to reality. Fear is an emotion experienced by everyone (especially the weak-minded) and is therefore a fascinating topic.

Fear stems from our inability to cope with the unexpected. Think about it… when someone says they’re “afraid” of dogs, are they really afraid of the actual dog? No, they’re afraid of the well known spontaneity of man’s best friend. If they knew exactly how a dog would behave, the fear would subside.

This goes with more abstract concepts too. Many of us “fear the future.” Why? Again, the lack of foresight into how our lives will be, with certainty, in the next decade or so. This brings up an interesting realization. The extent to which a person has control over a situation determines how comfortable they are in handling it. I guess that only makes sense. Heck, I know I’m a bit uneasy when I embark on some new pursuit. Fear, it seems, is a universal reaction to the unknown.

So why do some people seem to fear everything when others are more or less comfortable? I attribute it to varying levels of exposure to the world. Some people tend to build up a tolerance for things they know are out of their realm of control. Consequently, they can stomach more uncertainty before being afraid. More sheltered individuals experience the opposite. Ugh, this is precisely why I’ll never go into psychiatry. All these gray areas keep translating to “if/then” statements in my nerdy mind. If a person has some control, then they may or may not be afraid. If a person has already experienced something scary, they may or may not overcome their original notion. Blah blah blah, too much gray area for my liking.

Nevertheless, fear is a product of our inability to control every facet of our lives. Every person will experience it, but those who can genuinely embrace the unknown will ultimately conquer it.

On another note, I have a newly discovered fear - fear that the Democrats will win. This fear is rooted in the uncertainty of the American mindset (as well as the latest polls). However, by the morning of November 5th, the verdict will be absolute. My fear will subside, and based on the victor, I may or may not have additional fears.

See how this blog entry went? I hypothesized, and then I applied.

…I really need to go back to school.