What frightens people the most? Well, I suppose that depends on your age. OK, I got lots of that; age that is, not fear. It is normal to be instantly frightened when something unexpected jumps out at you, but when you are real young, you expect monsters to be hiding behind curtains, closet doors, and shadows in the corners just waiting to pounce. Wasn’t that an exciting time to live through and if you are reading this, you did survive that period in your life.
The older we get changes what we fear. Some feared the first day of school. I didn’t. I was an only child and seeing all those kids my age, I couldn’t wait to get to school. As a pre-teen and early teen, our fears changed with our changing bodies and minds. The closer we got to legal driving age, the more we feared it would take for ever and ever to get that old. As teenagers, we feared that the person we loved would find us stupid and ugly. We feared the tests we didn’t study for. Oh what a wonderfully terrifying time of our lives! I, for one, wouldn’t mind going back to that period of my life.
Then after graduation; will it be college or a job? College just prolongs the job thing. Sometime along the way we get married and have a family. Then comes years of working until finally, retirement; a lot of fear along the way.
In my humble opinion, I believe that most fear comes from the unknown, the things that we can’t control. I suppose you would like to know what my fears are. OK, I will tell you. I fear the passing of the people, pets, and things I love. I fear the greed and hunger for power that some people and governments possess. I fear the possible loss of mental and physical abilities as I continue to age.
OK, I told my fears, what are your biggest fears?
Biggest fear? FIRE!, Heights ( like on a ladder or the roof, flying never bothers me) . I guess now, getting to "that age" being down sick and not being able to get help.
ReplyDeleteI will tell this that I haven't told , when Ann died, for about a month I was terrified of being alone. I finally woke one morning and my mind had cleared and I realized that there was nothing I could do about it and to just get on with my life. ( I was just this close to becoming a hermit)
Of course soon as I hit "Post Comment", I'll think of something else.
I think you said it well, the unknown. That is known, means that the consequences of a worst case are also known, and generally are not as bad as the worrying or what they could be when it was unknown.
ReplyDeleteAt my point in my life, I think my greatest fear is no being able to meet commentments. In the past five years, I was twice unexpectedly unemployed, and learning that you may not make that next house payment is pretty scary. Even that though, was quickly tempered. We aren't especially attached to our home, it's only a house, and can be easily replaced including all the things in it if we lost it. If anything, it helped me learn not to have emotional attachments to physical things.
Ben, my wife is also fears heights (like on a ladder), but has no problem flying, even in small planes. You are never alone, as long as you have friends and pets.
ReplyDeleteGrant, you seem to have a good attitude. Not too many people are wise enough to have your philosophy.
Fear?,,not sure, but i have this "dread" of getting old, too old, and having to depend on others for everything. Thats the worst scenirio.
ReplyDeleteFear to me is a tool that I have used all my life.The way you use fear will effect all aspects of your being.It's really a simple tool to use.But to use it right takes a lot of thought.You know that old saying fools rush in where wise men fear to tread.To me that tells it all .
ReplyDeleteI don't fear any of the boogie men that I feared in the past, financial trouble, health issues, or weather calamities anymore. I know where I'm going, and I know who I will be with.
ReplyDeleteThe daily stuff is also in God's hands!
All this trouble in the world is hurting my desire to diet though. Hey, why diet when the end could be any day now!
I fear losing my eyesight completely, as well as ever having to live with one of my kids (whom I love dearly.) I also fear that we will eventually make the planet unlivable.
ReplyDeleteFear? Trying to give it up. Most of the time we fear the wrong thing anyway. It's the stuff you don't expect that gets you.
ReplyDeleteTrouble, I know what you mean, don’t want to have to depend on anyone. Never did and never want to.
ReplyDeleteTed, “fools rush in”, I like being laughed at but I don’t like being made a fool. So I don’t rush in.
Ernest, some how I knew you would say that. Diet? A preacher friend of mine back in the early 60’s was asked to preach at a WTCU meeting. He looked out over the crowd and saw all those fat women and he ripped up his sermon and preached on temperance in all things, including eating. He was not invited back.
Gypsy, if you are going to fear something, those are good ones to fear. I have to agree with you on all of them.
Sixbears, I agree, it is the unknown that is the most fearful