Submit Steven Kaszab

Fear has been the one pivotal element within all our histories, both personal and nationally speaking. It is something that excites, invites, repeals and manipulates us all. An emotion, a states of mind, something demonic or perhaps divine. At the moment of your birth to the end of your days, this thing called fear can wrestle your life away.

We live in a world shaped by fear. Our personal response to this fear shaped ourselves, families and nations too. Fear of loose, not being good enough, not achieving the expectations of others, not being good looking enough. How do I look, does this make me look fat? Apply some of these questions to yourself. Why am I a doctor and not an artist or perhaps why did I call an election when there was no need? Why did I invade Panama, Afghanistan or Vietnam? Why do nations jail their citizens? Fear of loosing perceived control, attack, terrorism, criminality. Why did I have an abortion, what  did I fear? Perhaps I would loose my freedom, may not be able to raise the child as I should? There’s a pandemic fire upon us, and I fear loosing future votes, so my action’s are reflected in that fear.

Why do I hate or love others? Did I do these things because I was raised to do so? Were my parents and neighbour’s such an influence upon me that I became this, whether good or bad, a person trying to live a life of meaning. Do I fear the unknown, uncommon, unique among us? I knew a person who hated over weight individuals. A gut wrenching hate of someone he did not even know. He grew up over weight, and through sheer perseverance and self struggle became a fine specimen of a man. The fear to become what he once was, or perhaps the distaste of people he thinks are not struggling enough themselves. Did they make the effort? I must love an Asian person, so that my family will accept my future spouse. Racial, Cultural, Social, economic and political fears shape us daily. “We have been police officers since time began”, and its expected of me to be one. Bring home a date who is not of your religious or racial heritage. 

Fear can be spontaneous and infectious. Archie Bunker sits with his neighbour who is a black man. What are they talking about? The Puerto Ricans who moved into their neighbourhood recently and how they feared these new arrivals. Two rivals become one united against the other. Inequality in this world is the result of fear. A while back a man had his castle, and brought home the bacon each week. A king of his domain with all the trapping of lovingly wife and family. This is not the case in our contemporary society, and these men find themselves without an anchor, fearful of what they have lost, and what is coming tomorrow. Suddenly some men and women become open to fearful suggestions, conspiracies and ideologies. That is why the Nazi, Communist or any other Racist Tyranny can offer these lost fearful people an anchor, a way to find commonality of purpose. Fear often creates monsters, those who find expression of their personal fears through struggle and possible violence. The fear of loosing what you have whether property, status or money pushes down upon equalities upward progression. Can equality become something other then a word?

Fear creates saints also. Religious People are possibly the most fearful of our neighbour’s. Why so? Fear of failure through sins before their maker. To them there is hell and heaven, and clear rules telling them how to proceed through life. These rules are controlling or freeing depending on how one looks at them, but the end result of going to heaven to be with God is dependent upon Fear. Fear of loosing ones soul and life in the afterlife. Self control, while being fearful of much the world has to offer, until they can achieve their salvation. Or the other route offering, that through Jesus all we have to do is honestly ask for forgiveness and all will be well. Wow, opposites that result in the same thing, defeating fear by being fearful.

The greatest gift you can give another is to espouse this thought. Be free of  fear’s tentacles , through wisdom and common sense. Think before you act and understand why how, why and when you act. Surely the wise person can choose what benefits themselves and their neighbour too.