Fear.

Fear.

There's a healthy dose of fear in every ounce of respect.

It's cowardly.

It's universal.

It's thrilling.

It's motivating.

It's necessary.

While searching for a topic for this blog post, I got all philosophical with a bunch of people. College professors, college students... lots of people.

And I was wondering several things, and no one knows the answers to these questions.

Why, if fear is such a necessary part of our growth and experience as human beings, does society rile and ostracize against those who feel fear?

Is fear really necessary for growth? Our purpose in life is not to be afraid, but to be happy.

Is it the fear that is necessary? Or is fear just the opposition that comes that we must overcome in order to grow and become better human beings? Would any opposition work, but more often than not it happens to be fear?

People I talked to agree that fear actually stunts societal growth, not leaving people open to change. But fear is ingrained in our society, with we, ourselves, proclaiming it in adages that says that there is a healthy dose of fear in every ounce of respect. The media motivates people with fear. Our government motivates people with fear. We follow laws we are given more often than not not because we love people and respect those laws, but because we fear the consequences that will come afterward.

Nonviolent protests tend to be more productive and longer-lasting than violent protests. Why is that? Is it because there is an element of fear removed- people are not afraid for their physical selves, leaving only the emotional/mental fear of change to overcome?

Do we like being afraid? In a culture where scaring people is funny, watching horror films is a cultural norm, and "confronting your fears" is described as the most fulfilling thing some people do, have we made feeling fear and afraid a normal part of our lives?

Why do we get mad at children who are afraid of the dark or monsters under the bed? Why did we as schoolchildren call them names, ostracize their fear and marginalize them as scaredy-cats?

Why is it okay to feel fear when it comes to asking a girl out on a date, but "irrational" to be scared of bugs?

Why are people afraid?

In the Christian religions around the world, it's a recognized tenet that "perfect love casteth out all fear" and that faith should be placed in God and not man and that everything will be okay. There's similar feelings in several other cultures, where fear is replaced with love and the world becomes better because when we're not afraid of our neighbor because we're all humans and not crazy people out to get each other the majority of the time.

But I feel like we've forgotten that. People are going around saying that we can't trust an entire people because of the actions of a few, that weapons are necessary for protection, that God has forsaken whomever the media feels irritated at today...

What are you afraid of?

An entire people, because a few extremists of their religion decided massacre was what they were supposed to do? You know that idea is stupid, to let your actions against many be decided because of the few. You thought it was stupid when in the classroom the entire class got put in trouble because of that one guy that wouldn't shut up. What makes it different now? You're letting fear dictate your actions because of the actions of a few. You're scared of a few, so we hurt the many out of our fear. What great love.

What are you afraid of?

"I need weapons, guns, whatever I can get my hands on because when (never if) someone tries to attack me I'll need to protect my family." You're scared of someone that you don't even know is out to get you, but oh, they are out to get you. When one individual exhibits these symptoms, society calls it paranoia. We're all paranoid, afraid that someone will get us and hurt us. Maybe, just maybe, no one is out to get you. Maybe before you go out and load your houses with weapons, you should just stop and look at how the media and society is manipulating you and your fears of harm against you and your family. If you want to see someone out to get you, look no further than those manipulating you and your fears for gain.

What are you afraid of ?

"God has forsaken.... (insert whatever is wrong with society today and that's why we're all going to die except for the chosen ones)." First. God is a God of all people, even the ones you don't like. And you're doing a terrible job living up to your religion condemning people because you don't agree with them. My own church recently caused a ripple with some women deciding to wear pants to church instead of skirts, and the outcry was enormous. "Jesus wants you in a dress... all liberal women wearing pants are going to go to Hell..." Death threats were made by members against the leaders of the wear pants to church movement. By members. Acting out of their fear of change and whatever other fear they had, instead of the love we claim to follow Jesus and God with and claim to recognize in all people.

What are you afraid of?

Where is the love?

We claim to want world peace, but we can't even have peace in our households. Fear dominates our society, and we do nothing. We rail against those who claim to be afraid, calling them cowards, yet the media and corporations use that fear we all hide from each other to manipulate us.

To quote the words of one of my favorite characters, "Consistency is the defense of a small mind." But there comes a point where you jump from inconsistency to hypocrisy.

And I know I've written all these words, and all these thoughts, and I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't scared to hit the publish button on this post. I've not only touched on fear, but also on gun control, feminism, religion, and a lot of other issues because fear is everywhere, especially in hot-button issues.

About 20 or so people will read this post. I don't know how many will actually make it to the end, or what people will think of me afterwards. I've worked on this post for three days now. It's been told to me that the things that keep coming to our minds are the ones that are the most important, those ideas that need to be written down and shared. There have been posts before where I was nervous to write them and publish them, but they were important and wouldn't leave my mind, so I shared them, and you guys responded. But this post outstrips them all.

I don't understand. I don't understand fear or anything or why people manipulate us or why people are scared or why anything. I've asked several people, they don't understand. We don't know why, we just feel. I don't know how fear and the universality of humanity relate completely, but I do know they relate, and I don't know why a lot of things. I can't claim to not be manipulated by fear, or that I'm not afraid, or that I'm afraid all the time either.

All I can do is claim to be human, to have thoughts and feelings and goals and hopes and dreams and fears and nightmares, just like every. other. human. being. I get hurt. I dance, I sing, I love people. I work, I play, I bleed, I cry, I laugh, I smile. What is there inside me to fear? I'm just like you. Just a little different. Variety is the spice of life. To admit that I'm scared of you means that I'm also, just a little bit, scared of myself.

There's a story, in the Book of Mormon, that always touches me. A group of Lamanites had been converted to the gospel, and determined never to touch weapons again to hurt anyone else, not even in defense of their own lives. More Lamanites who hadn't been converted were angered, and went to war against those who had been converted. The converted Lamanites didn't fight back. They knelt and prayed, praising God even as they were struck dead with the swords of their brethren. They did nothing. Slowly, one of the warring Lamanites looked and realized that the men, women, and children he was murdering were his brethren. He put down his sword, crying, and joined those kneeling to face whatever their brethren gave them. Then another warring Lamanite stopped, putting his sword down. Then another. Then another. Then another. Eventually, when it was all over, several of the originally converted Lamanites were dead and gone. But more than double the murdered Lamanites had converted and joined their brethren, pledging never to hurt anyone ever again.

Why can't we be like that? To not fear, to just have faith and know that no matter what, even when those you consider your brethren and love are coming at you to kill you, everything will be okay? Why can't we love each other enough to try our best not to hurt each other, no matter what?

What are we afraid of?