Fear

The opposite of love is not hate! It is fear. Fear is a debilitating state of suffering.

Fear is marked by a deep, ravenous longing for real love and reciprocal relationship and for emotional and physical security and safety.

Two pitfalls – one mental and one emotional – can make fear very much worse.

• If, mentally, we get caught in a place where we identify who we ARE as our physical body, we’re in a tight spot. We are well aware, at least deep in our consciousness, of our body’s fragility and mortality. Many try to compensate for or overcome this fear by reckless behavior and by tyrannically restricting of physical activity.

• If, emotionally, if we are so afraid of not belonging – regardless of the cost to truth and integrity – that we allow ourselves to be ruled by the selfish and fickle opinions of others. This fear is often exhibited by viciously and routinely condemning people who don’t agree with our group, especially with little true information or provocation.

Fear has three general symptomatic signal categories:

• Stopping trying and hiding, cowering in victimhood
• Lashing out in anger, verbally or physically
• Aggressively acquiring excessive wealth and power, and protecting it ruthlessly