It was Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) who uttered a phrase that has been used time and again for demonstrating the Fear that so many faced in his day. It was on his inauguration into the office of the Presidency of the United States, March 4th, 1933. This was a time between my parents birthday (dad in 1930, mom in 1935). FDR had just experienced a landslide victory over his Republican opponent, the incumbent President Herbert Hoover. The nation was in the grips of the Great Depression and there were many sitting on the edge of their seats wondering what this new office holder had in mind to dig the nation out of his depression.
What words of wisdom did he use to foment the idea that recovery was possible? Yes. He affirmed that the nation would survive, but the rallying call that we hear over and again is the indomitable spirit of a nation who refused to flee from the fearful situation it found itself in. Can you hear him saying this? Can you imagine the hope that America could feel as you imagine him telling us that there is an escape from the Fear that paralyzes so many?
“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
(Listen here…it’s just a couple of minutes long.)
Fear. That emotion that grips our sanity and peace of mind with the talons of a bird of prey. FDR describes the worst fear as the fear of fear itself.” Why? Because we have not yet faced something in this natural world that we cannot overcome the fear we have of it!
So. The worst thing we can do is Fear fear. Dr. Mary C. Lamia Ph.D., writing in Psychology Today defines Fear like this:
“Fear is generally considered a reaction to something immediate that threatens your security or safety…”
When we are startled or scared by something, anything, we have a reaction. Cower in abject terror just knowing that we are goners! Or, the common twins of the most of us will take is “fight or flight”. Jump out at someone from behind a door and you may have them melting like jello, running as fast as they can as the adrenalized fear puts wings on their feet, or, you may just get slammed about as they prepare to fight for their life.
Personally, I’m more apt to swing than run.
And I’ve got pretty big hands that may just do some damage!
Now. Forewarned is forearmed!
While writing this, I remember The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy went from moments of fear, and then something snapped her back into reality and she challenged the fear producer. Remember how she even challenged The Great Oz? With authority and action she beat back that which momentarily had caused her to shake with fear.
Notice FDR’s statement as he described the position of a nation dealing with the Great Depression.
“…nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance…”
His inaugural address faced the fear head on and laid out a plan of attack against those things which induced fear. It was a rational response, a hopeful address, a direct approach of a broad plan to conquer the “unjustified terror” that the nation was hearing.
Notice that phrase… Unjustified terror. Can you justify the terror you have of something?
For FDR, this was the address of a lifetime to a nation that needed to hear a different voice present a rock-solid approach to the true problem. Fear was just an emotional response to something most felt there was no way out of. Fearing fear needs to be directly trounced! What they needed was a solution! A direction! Some fire in the britches to prompt a positive reaction!
When I was learning to fly I had a healthy fear of stalling the aircraft. One thought of landing was that it was a controlled fall out of the sky. And a stall could lead you to the ground ill-prepared to react appropriately to the rushing terrain. Crash! But learning past the “fear” was the knowledge that we were being trained to react to the circumstances.
We often learn from history how best to respond to the challenges we face, even those things that produce great fear!! But when our toolbox of responses is empty, we seldom have the state of mind to listen to someone else as they attempt to coax us out of our reaction.
But fear is also an emotion that causes you to do things you never thought you would ever do. You may even take chances with your reputation, life, or another’s safety because Fear pushes you into reaction with no thought of consequences. Fear of failure may start a long string of lies or actions to keep failure at arm’s length. Embellishments are that long arm of fiction that often comes from the fear of being left out.
How do you conquer fear? Is it even possible?
The one thing I’ve learned to do is to analyze with a backward study of that which caused me to be afraid. Since I’m an analytical person this is how I attack those things that caused me to react. One understood, then the next time I’ll be less likely to react with fear.
But this analysis does not help me at the moment of fear from a new direction.
Often our fear comes from a part of life that can easily be induced to react. Over and again. Afraid of spider webs? Well, there are ways to destroy the webs in front of you every day, but understanding where this fear comes from should allow you to conquer the fear of that brush on your face that just sends you into panic-stricken reaction! When you show your fear then those that like to watch you react will only enhance your fear by teasing you with spider webs…
Yes. I’ve been guilty of doing this! I’m sorry. Lesson learned.
A fear of spider webs can lead to a fearful response to just about anything outside of our comfort zone. Our reaction becomes our normal response, and what’s normal gets acted upon time and again.
I saw Jaws… 1975… First time in a movie theater as an adult. It was enough to keep me out of the water on any beach anywhere. At least that weekend. It was our 1-year wedding anniversary. We were going to San Antonio, and then to Galveston… We never made it to Galveston! I mean, haven’t you seen the videos of Orca’s coming out on the beach to acquire dinner? Seals are not safe! Humans are not even safe walking close to the home of a great white!
A healthy fear produces a healthy respect. A respect of how you will possibly react, and likewise, a respect of the object of your fear. I may get vertigo standing on the edge of a cliff and it may allow me to fall over the edge. In fact, my feet start tingling the closer I get to the edge. And my feet are a long way from my inner ear! So. My respect of the cliff is to not get too close else I succumb to my inner ear!
But this doesn’t prevent me from flying! Nor sitting in a Cessna 172 flying back to Alaska from North Dakota and the door popping open next to me! No. I am strapped in. I will not fall out. There is no fear of the moment. Go ahead. Look 5,000 feet down at the ground. Now. Close the door. Let’s keep flying! (This is the plane !))
You get to realize the place where your fear allows you to acknowledge the potential reaction should the object of fear pop up. Suddenly. You begin to respect the reaction that fear can produce so you learn to set boundaries. You learn to be cautious and respectful. After all, that spider has a job to do and part of it requires that he spins his web.
A healthy respect allows for the existence of things that cause you to react and you face those fears one by one with a respect of their power over you. Realize, you may never unlearn your fear of spiders, but you can relearn how you respond. And that is your power over your fear! Relearn how you respond!
A healthy respect allows you to understand your position in light of that which you “respect”. For most of us, this is how we learn to approach God. In the psalm book of the bible…
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” (Psalms 111:10 NKJV)
This word “fear” also describes “reverence”. It’s not a fear that leaves one quaking in their boots! Rather, it’s a reverence of that which has so much power over you and your life! That’s Healthy Respect! And that’s the beginning of Wisdom!