March 20, 2009 NIGHT-TIME

Greetings my Dear Journal

I felt this day was a rather acceptable one. I was gravely mistaken.
As light shifts to dark in an unending circle of days and nights, so did my blissful state ended abruptly in an a rather unpleasent manner. A number of minor factors concerning the general hysteria that is going on around me in my (not so numerous) family.
Also I was criticized by my most cheering fan (Mother of course), on my semi-blog-like-kinda-thing on Deviant-Art.
I did consider a semi-failure my previous journal entry, since it was way too random and way too journal like. An entire report of a day stuffed with advising elements and rhetorics.
I figured since nobody will read this, but my ghostly friends, I might as well go out and type in stuff, open, direct without any lies (or maybe the most minor ones) or restraints.
Regardless I am still not satisfied with my previous Journal entry. So I deleted it.

What should I talk about now? How should I confess and confide into you, my dear virtual journal.

...

Let us talk about ... Fear and Courage


What is fear? What is being scared of something? What is fighting fear? Can it be fought at all?
Fear had a major role in human history. Whether it was used as the most efficient defensive mechanism of an individual or as the foundation-stone of an entire civilization, fear was eternally present ... just as it's twin brother courage.

From the very begining fear existed within the hearts of men.
Hidden, waiting for the moment to fog the mind. And once it succeeded, chaos ensued. Such a strong emotion.. loose... uncontroled. Adrenaline and Noradrenaline surges. Fight-or-flight effect. Recklessly charge or run for it.
What could have the primitive man felt with his family-tribe when they were facing a mammoth? When the first one was snatched away, impaled or trampled on?
Maddened rage combined with despair and desilusion? Did he ran away screaming or did he rushed the mammoth onward in a suicidal manner?
Regardless, fear taught him a lesson, to be more vigilent and better prepared in the future. IF he listened to his inner voice, and just ran away along with the rest.

"Foolish are those who fear nothing, yet claim to know everything."

Fear is thwarted by success.
You are not scared of something that you can destroy, conquer, kill or just simply ignore.

Fear is present at the begining though, when nothing palpable or nothing at all is known about that which you are facing, warning you about a potential danger. It's the primal instinct. Our own inner defensive mechanism.

If you encounter something unheard of (be it an event, a person, anything at all) or unknown and you treat it without a bit of suspicion or consideration, you are a reckless person and you will pay for your own mistakes.

Through the experience gathered facing horrible events, men learned to avoid making the same mistakes again. Men evolved, perfected themselves against a certain foe. A foe, they feared. And whenever men feared something, men used accumulated experience to find a way to defeat the foe.

When they felt ready... they gathered and went at it. Their hearts filled with fear, slowly, but steadily changing into something else... and finally ... through persistence they excelled. They defeated their foe. They defeated the mammoth, the barriers of nature, the earth ... and themselves.

Courage on the other hand is the complete opposite of fear. Or is it? Might courage and fear represent the two opposite faces of a single coin? Courage means using the experience gathered from fear to thwart it's mindbraking effect. True courage doesn't means the complete absence of fear, but rather its complete mastery. If you disregard fear's lessons you are nothing but reckless.

And the line between being reckless and being courageous is thinner than a thread of silk.

"Brave are those who known everything, yet fear nothing."

Courage implies certain insight and wisdom. Your mind needs to be clear. You need to be well aware of your chances, your surroundings and of your self.
Based on a number of variables you make a choice and you take a decision. And then, you hold out by that choice, that decision.

Courage is the determination to do something even if you know you'll die of it.

Recklessness is when your mind goes blank, you are blinded by emotions... or just simply want to seem the most courageous, and you rush into the action. The True DareDevil.

Yet you are not.

You will brake the most easily. Or your relentless persistence to uphold the mask of deceit and play the role of the the most courageous one won't fade away even when you face certain doom. Certain doom, which you could have avoided, were you more focused and less hasty.

Courage cannot exist without fear.


Because courage is fear on lash.