‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself’ is a famous quote by John F. Kennedy who apparently wasn’t afraid to plagiarize his college professor and was shot by people who weren’t afraid of getting caught. We should probably be wary of fearlessness too...
...because fear isn’t always detrimental to the human condition. I’m not versed in evolution theory or anything but I’m pretty sure that fear is a core ingredient of the survival instinct that so many of us, especially roughnecks, take pride in. And not just pride. A lot of us like to revel in fear, as long as it’s in a controlled environment, because of the adrenalin rush that comes with it. Take those bull runs in Pamplona, for instance, or bullfighting in certain parts of Spain. Or watching horror movies and giving Donald Trump a chance in hell to win the US Presidential election.
We need some measure of fear in our lives in order to strive and conquer it and impress our peers and, more importantly, woo potential partners. But risking life and limbs by going out on a limb is only worthwhile if you stand a chance to live through the experience. And history will only reward you if you were at least able to relay crucial information to the more cautious stragglers. Our culture doesn’t think highly of daredevillish lemming-like behavior nor should it. And an absolute lack of fear makes us fearsome. Only sociopaths wouldn’t worry about the morality and the consequences of their actions, or about how the outside world will perceive them.
To some degree, social anxiety is imperative for our species to survive. We live in a secularized and increasingly interconnected world. In the old day, the wrath of God was one of the few things stopping people from committing murder and rape in order to get what they want*. Nowadays it’s CCTV cameras for the most part, granted, but also feelings of shame and one's social standing within the community. Those who lack these sensibilities will simply put on a mask, literally or figuratively, and duck the law of the land. When the law of the land itself allows for the fraying of the social fabric, there is little standing in the way of a reign of chaos. Wouldn’t you rather suffer from neurosis instead?
[*Another was the promise of space err sky cake. See video below]
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Johannis van der LindenIk woon in de wijk Charlois, Rotterdam. Ben geïnteresseerd in politiek, muziek en literatuur. Wanneer ik soms mijn intellectuele luiheid overwin, schrijf ik er ook graag iets over. Archives
September 2016
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