Are we afraid of the wrong things?

F= Foolish
E= Emotional
A=Anguish
R= Ridiculous

It is part of human nature to be afraid. But what does being afraid mean? Why are we afraid of the unknown? Why are we afraid of things we know we cannot change or predict? I am afraid of the dark, afraid of being raped, afraid of being mugged, afraid of small spaces, afraid of having my heart broken, afraid of never knowing the true meaning of love.....

Fear changes people. It limits your capabilities. It changes personalities and diminishes aspirations. When you allow fear to take over your life, you are not living. We have adopted a culture of fear.

This culture is very much influenced by the media. The media has the rest of the world convinced that our country is taken over and ruled by crime. We tend to be most afraid of the things that are publicized the most. We are more afraid of being mugged than we are of dying from a terminal illness. Yet Africa has the largest number of people infected by HIV/AIDS and its death toll is almost quadruple the amount of people who get mugged. We tend to more afraid of containing the mad cow disease than we are of getting a heart attack. And yet, we drive at high speeds while under the influence of alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and do drugs.

This means that we as individuals do not think for ourselves anymore. We believe that which is told to us, and cast it in stone. It is time to start thinking rationnally about fear.