Fear

I am continually struck by how much of what we do is driven by fear, and the more I pay attention to it the more I see that is driven by fear.



The sky is falling.



We went to war in Iraq because we were afraid that they might have weapons of mass destruction and might use them against us (either directly or through terrorists).



When we went to war in Afghanistan, the line was that it was in retaliation for 9/11, or that it was some quest for "justice" in response for 9/11.  In truth, the people who perpetrated the crimes of 9/11 were already dead.  I think the real motive was fear--fear that Islamic extremists would attack us again.

We've been going to war out of fear for decades now.  Remember Vietnam?  The primary motive there was fear of communists--you know, the domino effect and all that garbage.  It's not just foreign policy, though.



Lately we've all heard about the budget talks.  Should we raise taxes?  Should we raise the debt ceiling?  Should we make dramatic cuts to spending?  Everybody is using fear to try to gain support for their position.  If we cut services, poor people will go hungry.  If we have a government shutdown, people won't receive their social security checks.  If you believe the hype, a government shutdown would cause an economic collapse that makes today's recession look like paradise!

You wear your seat belt because you're afraid of getting hurt.  You made it a law that I wear mine because you're afraid that if I get into an accident without one, you're going to somehow end up paying my medical bills or that my car will continue driving without me and kill you all.



People enter relationships because they're afraid of being alone, and stay in bad ones for the same reason. 

Companies are resisting hiring new employees, even to replace their retiring employees, because they're afraid the economy will get worse and they'll end up paying unemployment for their new hires.

I wear SPF 50 when I'm inside all day because I'm afraid of skin cancer.

You eat food you don't even like because you're afraid of getting fat. 

Society tells our children not to get married for fear they'll make a bad decision.  At the same time, society won't tell them to abstain from sexual activity for fear they'll fail.  Society will tell them to use a condom, though, for fear they'll catch a disease or get pregnant.

We all have cell phones now because we were afraid we'd miss calls while we drove from the house to the office.  Then we made laws about using cell phones in cars because we're afraid someone will be distracted and crash.

Ever wonder how much easier your life would be if you weren't afraid?