Truth #6 - Fear

"...Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” - Yoda

Fear is one of the main emotions we have as human beings.  Fear is what they call an underlying emotion.  Most people who have suffered with and received treatment for an addiction know this. For example, the underlying cause of anger is fear. The fear is the emotion that causes us to be angry.  Fear is there to protect us by warning our body that we perceive we are in danger.  The anger is a response to that fear.  It fuels "fight or flight."  Do we stand our ground or do we run?  If we fight, then anger helps us do that.  But also that fear, anger, hate can be taken to an extreme.  The fear can paralyze us.  Addictions come from fear.  I don't think I am worthy of anything or I do it to protect myself by self soothing.  Usually because there has been a traumatic event and that person can't deal with it in a healthy way.  These all grow the addiction.  Some people don't even know they have an addiction. I have a friend who is severely obese and has tried every diet in the book.  I suggested she go to a psychiatrist for her depression fueling her eating addiction.  She is also in a non-supportive environment.  She said , "I am not depressed."  For real? I was thinking.  Fear has completely taken over her.  Fear can also stop us from enjoying life.  I have another friend who wants a life partner but either sets unrealistic expectations of women or doesn't have the courage to approach nice women.  Again, what are you afraid of?  You don't think you're worth it, do you?  Hate groups are another prime example.  You think so little of your life that you blame another group for what's wrong.  Clearly this is fear of taking responsibility of your life and thinking you are worthy to control it and make it better.  I am responsible for how I handle what life throws at me.  And I also know that if I can't, asking for help takes balls and is the best thing for me.  Its easy to be angry or hateful.  It keeps the emotions away so you don't need to deal with the fear. You don't have to deal with the inner you.  Inner you? That's who we are, before that bad shit in life happened.  Most of us don't want to feel the inner person because it makes you feel the fear built up all around it and re-live some painful shit sometimes.  The problem is, when you stop feeling the fear you can't turn it off.  You can't really feel anything else.  Which means, how can you love yourself or anyone else? You can't.

"Named must your fear be before banish it you can.” - Yoda