Why are People Afraid?

Off Topic
101

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:

Suddenly the ‘samurai’ part of my mind took over and said to me “today is the day you die” and with it came a wash of total and absolute peace and calm. I believe some call it ‘spiritual harmony’. I smiled to myself, got up and thoroughly enjoyed myself from then on.

[/quote]

You smoked a doobie before jumping didn`t you?

;)))

I work in a profession which is arguably the most dangerous around (300% more dangerous than the next-in-line profession according to a Boston study). Just 2 weeks ago a man working in the same trade as I (albeit in another city) went down…for good. I dont fear death. Were I to fear it, Id be in a constant state of anxiety on the job.

I fear the same as you: to be relegated to a wheelchair. To be crippled for life. To die in a horribly drawn-out manner.

One of my pals who used to work this job is paralyzed from the chest down following an on-the-job accident. Hes in a wheelchair for life. His wife left him soon after the accident (he has kids with her). That is the sort of scenario that scares` me, if any.

I TRULY dont want to sound like someone who thinks hes bad-ass(whatever the hell THAT means lol), but Ive seen my life flash before my eyes so many times these past 8 years working in this profession that fearing death itself doesnt come to mind. You can`t walk through life fearing something you have little to no control over. Do your best to protect yourself; beyond that, focus your attentions on the positive. Not death.

102

[quote]caladin wrote:
Were Vikings “norseman that belived in the norse mythology” afraid of death? What about the Spartans? I always admired these two cultures as they relished in death… at least death in battle vs death in bed as an old man. They welcomed it… ran to it full sprint!

I did a study on warmongering cultures and found that the attitude vs fear and death. I was quite suprised by what I found. It was not that they where without fear but choose to control it, hone it, shape it into a weapon which they used on there enemy.

As for crying I always say this to myself when freind and family dies…

Raise thy weapons on this day
Ye shall not die alone
Fight and die let Valkyries fly
For they shall take thee home
I promise thee that on this night
Ye shall be by my side
Asgard’s halls await with heroes
Brothers that have died
For thee we wait at Asgard’s gates
Come join us by our side
Valhalla waits so choose thy fate
For all of us must die!
[/quote]

I don’t know about that. I think you’ve watched too many movies.
I think spartans and vikings are comparable to any armed forces of our times:
The Japanese kamikaze, the Canadians on Vimy Ridge, Somme and Passchendaele; the Allied forces during D-day, the Americans fighting for their freedom versus the British, the French resistance dying at the hands of the Nazi firing squad, the suicide bombers of Afghanistan and Iraq, etc
All who gladly gave and will give their life for what they believe(d) in.

Even today, soldiers are taught to relish death in combat because it’s honorable. Even then, i’m sure many cry themselves at night because they are scared.
Spartans, Viking, German, American, French, Italian, Canadian, Chinese, etc…

We’re all scared of death. It’s been ingrained in us so profoundly, that you cannot go around it.
It’s very different to say you aren’t scared of something until the gun is at your head or the knife at your throat.

This reminds me of a quote and i think it’s why people are scared of death:

“The greatest fear, is fear of the unknown”

104

[quote]Sloth wrote:
bushidobadboy wrote:
Interesting perspective, because I suspect that I actually possess more tools for my survival than you do. BBB

Obviously you don’t. You don’t even claim to possess the most fundamental tool for survival, a fear of death.

Edit: Next, you’ll describe all the survival skills and tools you’ve gathered to yourself. Which only shows that you do fear death, to the extent of preparing yourself as much as possible to avoid it.[/quote]

Your logical error is equating self preservation to (what equates to) a fear of the inevitable.

Not having a fear of death does not mean that you welcome death at any time, it merely means that you accept that it is going to happen eventually and you have come to terms with that fact (like an adult).

105

[quote]IQ wrote:
Sloth wrote:
bushidobadboy wrote:
Interesting perspective, because I suspect that I actually possess more tools for my survival than you do. BBB

Obviously you don’t. You don’t even claim to possess the most fundamental tool for survival, a fear of death.

Edit: Next, you’ll describe all the survival skills and tools you’ve gathered to yourself. Which only shows that you do fear death, to the extent of preparing yourself as much as possible to avoid it.

Your logical error is equating self preservation to (what equates to) a fear of the inevitable.

Not having a fear of death does not mean that you welcome death at any time, it merely means that you accept that it is going to happen eventually and you have come to terms with that fact (like an adult).[/quote]

That’s not a lack of fear.

106

[quote]WolBarret wrote:
Faith. Its needed.[/quote]

Can you expand on this?

What is faith (using the implied religious context) needed for?

107

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
legendaryblaze wrote:
“The greatest fear, is fear of the unknown”

Except that it’s not unknown. You have already ‘not-existed’ before, with no worries.

Personally I think it is the fault of religion, to have created a BS afterlife (you go to the good one if you serve me, the bad one if you cross me) that has been instilled in us.

BBB[/quote]

No, it’s a survival mechanism. Blame natural selection. What the heck is this idea that human beings became capable of fearing death because religion arrived on scene? If that’s the case you should be grateful, otherwise we might have gone extinct long ago.

108

[quote]Sloth wrote:
IQ wrote:
Sloth wrote:
bushidobadboy wrote:
Interesting perspective, because I suspect that I actually possess more tools for my survival than you do. BBB

Obviously you don’t. You don’t even claim to possess the most fundamental tool for survival, a fear of death.

Edit: Next, you’ll describe all the survival skills and tools you’ve gathered to yourself. Which only shows that you do fear death, to the extent of preparing yourself as much as possible to avoid it.

Your logical error is equating self preservation to (what equates to) a fear of the inevitable.

Not having a fear of death does not mean that you welcome death at any time, it merely means that you accept that it is going to happen eventually and you have come to terms with that fact (like an adult).

That’s not a lack of fear. [/quote]

Yes it is.

If you wouldn’t prevent your death (assuming that you have the ability) that would mean that you have a preference for death.

Self preservation is a preference for life, however there is nothing you can do (that we are currently aware of) that will prevent your eventual death. Not fearing that is what is being referred to when people discuss not having a fear of death.

109

The real and only truth is in the holy bible.God created everything.And if u dont believe that I dare u to truly study the bible an you will find all your answers.Heaven or hell u chose.

110

[quote]IQ wrote:

If you wouldn’t prevent your death (assuming that you have the ability) that would mean that you have a preference for death.
[/quote]
Nope. It could mean I don’t have a preference either way, so need to expend any energy preventing or hastening my death.

Self preservation is a preference for life due to a fear of death. This doesn’t change if you can control the circumstances or not. I guarantee you the “bravest” here would clamor over their neighbor to claim for themselves some kind of “make the inevitable not so inevitable” drug.

113

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Sloth wrote:
Self preservation is a preference for life due to a fear of death.

No it isn’t. Perhaps I like life because it means I can enjoy the company of loved ones and friends, not because I myself will cease to exist.

Damnit, the troll sucked me into his lair again.

BBB[/quote]

Whatever the heck that was supposed to mean. “I like life because I like existence.” No crap, it’s why you do fear death. Heck, just looking at the “survival skills” you made sure to accumulate, you’re more worried about your potential non-existence than anybody I know.

114

By the way, who’s trolling who here? You’ve called me a troll multiple times times now. Yet, this exchange between us didn’t start with me quoting and replying to you. Rather, it was the opposite.

116

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Sloth wrote:
bushidobadboy wrote:
Sloth wrote:
Self preservation is a preference for life due to a fear of death.

No it isn’t. Perhaps I like life because it means I can enjoy the company of loved ones and friends, not because I myself will cease to exist.

Damnit, the troll sucked me into his lair again.

BBB

Whatever the heck that was supposed to mean. “I like life because I like existence.” No crap, it’s why you do fear death. Heck, just looking at the “survival skills” you made sure to accumulate, you’re more worried about your potential non-existence than anybody I know.

Again you are incorrect. I pick up skills because it’s what I like to do.

Again you try to tell me what I feel. What arrogance.

BBB[/quote]

After some of your early comments in this thread, I didn’t think you’d respect pussyfooting around anyone’s feelings.

117

I have to say I quintessentially agree with Sloth here.
I respect the fact he is choosing not to elaborate and allowing the reader to think.
I will refrain from elaborating also but will add this:

Acceptance = love = life

Abandonment = rejection = death

Our conscious actions and retractions in life are motivated by mankind’s greatest fear and humiliation:

The fear of annihilation.

How many of us are afraid to say or do what we really would like to if it were not for the fear of social abandonment which would imply rejection by society and ultimately psychological/emotional death?

Fear runs at the very fabric of our beings under a condition of inner deficiency.

Death is a condition resulting from a molecular deficiency - the process of self regeneration is potentially there and yet it just ceases to operate. That signals a deficiency in the living organism.

We are broken and that is why fear just is part of our existence.

When love is absent from the world we fear therefore we exist.

In the presence of love there remains only life and freedom.

Unless you are spiritually free you cannot claim fearlessness.

In my humble experience,

Alpha F

118

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
legendaryblaze wrote:
“The greatest fear, is fear of the unknown”

Except that it’s not unknown. You have already ‘not-existed’ before, with no worries.

Personally I think it is the fault of religion, to have created a BS afterlife (you go to the good one if you serve me, the bad one if you cross me) that has been instilled in us.

BBB[/quote]

Are you honestly claiming that you know what happens after you die?
Do you know how the universe came into existence too and how it all started too?

119

[quote]legendaryblaze wrote:
bushidobadboy wrote:
legendaryblaze wrote:
“The greatest fear, is fear of the unknown”

Except that it’s not unknown. You have already ‘not-existed’ before, with no worries.

Personally I think it is the fault of religion, to have created a BS afterlife (you go to the good one if you serve me, the bad one if you cross me) that has been instilled in us.

BBB

Are you honestly claiming that you know what happens after you die?
Do you know how the universe came into existence too and how it all started too?
[/quote]

I can’t speak for BBB but I’m comfortable saying I know what happens when I die–that I will cease to exist. Just as others know they are going to an afterlife.

I also think there is a difference between the instinctual adrenaline response to fear that occurs in what the brain interprets as a near death situation requiring fight or flight response and everyday fear of dying. The former is a biological response the latter is something some people carry and others do not.

120

[quote]Makavali wrote:

Actually, Mormon beliefs stem from a man who was “of our times” and yet it’s now accepted as a semi-mainstream religion. I can’t help but feel at times that all organized religion has the hallmarks of Scientology - they require obedience, conversion, money, and have a structured hierarchy.

Actually, I think I’ve described a pretty good business strategy…

slinks away slyly[/quote]

sound kind of like MLM