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Fear is not real: A beautiful quote by Will Smith from Cypher Raige. It brings up a robust debate that calls fear imaginary. Sometimes people refer to this distress as False Evidence Appearing Real. However, we can’t ignore that this distress is trying to tell us something. We can ignore fear only at our own risk and naivety. In this article, we will talk about the meaning of the quote fear is not real, danger is. We also talk about how to deal with this imaginary distress to be able to make it work for us.

Fear is not real – Meaning

To understand the meaning of fear is not real – we ought to ask, what is fear? According to the dictionary – it is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger. Although it appears real, it surely is internal and private. An emotion of this sort is deeply personal.

Fear is caused by our perception of danger. It is based on the possibilities of what an unfavourable outcome can mean to us. That’s precisely the point of this quote. Fear is a psychological response and a beautiful emotion in itself. It is the job of emotions to send us a signal.

The difficulty with this distress however is that it confuses reality with imagination. Not everything fear tells us is true. It is a mix of what’s real and unreal. But the most important question to ask is – Fear is telling me something. What does it mean? How can I tackle it?

Fear is a product of thoughts you create

I find this intriguing. According to this line by Will Smith – fear is created by us. It is an imagination of the way things might turn out to hurt us. That makes the concept of this distress – temporary and imaginary. If it is merely a product of our imagination, why is it so difficult to ignore it? The simplest answer is that it can have a real impact. And we’re afraid that we aren’t prepared enough for this eventuality.

This is because our mind responds differently to danger. Danger demands that we react to the situation right away. Being afraid is an advance warning of this danger, it is asking for preparation. The best thing we can do is to use this warning and create a solution. It might not be a perfect one, but something that can protect the things that are most important to you.

Focus on danger

We mostly get what we focus on. If we focus on dangers, we can only see them. The same is true for blind optimism. This fright is telling us to find a fair balance between the two. You can ignore or cast it away. But, it will find a way to come back and haunt you. Instead, write down these warning signals.

Figure out what they are trying to tell you. It will lead to a consistent theme to work on. The beauty of our emotions is that they always loop in to form a pattern. And this pattern can be a powerful indicator of your pitfalls.

Danger is real but fear is a choice

I can’t fully agree to the statement that fear is not real. I think it very much is a representation of a potential outcome. Instead of ignoring, we need to come up with a plan. The best way to acknowledge a distress is by writing it down somewhere and thinking of ways to protect yourself. The fear is telling you to take action and move forward. The moment you start or create a plan it will help you.

Also, be careful against the temptation of finding out all the answers. You must reach a fair balance between having all the answers vs dealing with uncertainty. Any risk you take will have associated uncertainty. It shouldn’t stop you from taking decisions. All the warnings are possibilities. But we have to keep moving forward or else stagnancy can kill both our motivation and desire. Create a plan, don’t worry about perfection and move forward. Find ways to get better at managing this emotion. It is bound to help you out in the process.

References:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fear