A Thought Regarding Fear

If you give a young child a drink and ask them to carry it across the room, there's a way to increase the chance that they'll spill it. Warn them not to spill it.

If a motorcyclist begins to lose control, there's a way to increase the chances of an accident. To focus on the thing they don't want to hit.

From Wikipedia's tiny article on the subject of target fixation:

"When individuals target fixate, they are prone to steer in the direction of their gaze, which is often the ultimate cause of a collision."

I'm surely not the first to suggest that this is a very important concept beyond physical safety. You can make your fears manifest by giving them undue focus.

Here are some examples...

Fear: becoming unattractive
Action: plastic surgery
Result: monster face

Fear: losing someone's love
Action: overbearing contact, jealousy
Result: pushing the person away

Fear: unhealthy looking skin
Action: tanning for a healthy glow
Result: weathered, unhealthy looking skin

Fear: being thought of as stupid
Action: talking on every topic instead of listening
Result: sounding like an idiot

Fear: civil unrest
Action: police militarization, domestic spying
Result: a galvanizing of civil resentment

Fear: Smurfs
Action: create a Smurfette to infiltrate and destroy them
Result: she learns what it is to be Smurfy and now there's yet another smug Smurf

The examples are everywhere, from individuals and collectives. A person who fears not being loved is a person more prone to decisions leading to heartbreak. A country that fears its neighbours is more prone to policies of isolation and antagonism.

You run a risk when fear is your motivation.

Don't let a fear of being ugly destroy your looks.

Don't let a fear of being poor squander your money.

Don't let a fear of heartbreak sour your heart.

Don't let a fear of death keep you from living.

Take care on your worries.


On a flip-side, be careful with optimism as well.