fear

the fear of God (Allah)

the west fear God but disobey him because they think hes so mean. the middle east don't fear God because they obey him. religion is dangerous as it can destroy the fear of God. when you fear getting caught doing a crime you really fear God (or karma). likewise when you feel no fear of getting caught you believe God will forgive you. i dont pray to go to heaven. i pray because i love God.

Fear is the mind killer.

There is nothing to fear apart from fear itself.

Or is that totally false? Surely fear is a survival instinct where people ignore it at their own peril?

The title and first like is an adaptation of something Dune, where the Bene Gesserit had a "Litany Against Fear":

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

I dont think I agree with the litany from a work of fiction. Fear needs to be respected and listened to, even if not always given in to.

Emmerich reveals fear of fatwa axed 2012 scene

Roland Emmerich, the director of the 'end of days' disaster movie, had wanted to depict the destruction of Islam's holiest site, but was persuaded not to

He blew up the Empire State Building and the White House in Independence Day, sent a giant monster careering through the heart of Manhattan in Godzilla and destroyed the famous Hollywood sign in The Day After Tomorrow. But it seems there are places even Roland Emmerich will not go - the German film-maker has revealed he abandoned plans to obliterate Islam's holiest site on the big screen for fear of attracting a fatwa.

Fear

wrote a long time ago in response to my blog post:

But to say "lets not do anything, lets not even participate" is to say im afraid to loose something at risk of gaining nothing.

Is that true?

For many years I have disliked competing against people. My self justification was that it was unfair on others (elitist and condescending all in one!). Even is sport where I did not excel, I preferred to have the handicap of being in a weaker team and even then I would not use some tactics as "they would ruin the game for others".

and then there is life where the occasional choice of actions can cause metaphorical paralysis.