Solf J Kimblee (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
explosivecombat) wrote2014-05-13 09:23 am
explosivecombat) wrote2014-05-13 09:23 am
Entry tags:
- !ic,
- *text,
- @blu sniper,
- @carmen sandiego (here she is),
- @envy,
- @frank archer's utter lack of subtlety,
- @greed's poor life choices,
- @jimmy two-shoes,
- @walter,
- admittedly kind of asking for it,
- but is everyone mad about genocide,
- god is dead and my tl;dr has killed him,
- good ideas are clearly relative concepts,
- hell are you even,
- i used to be hardcore,
- just thought he'd ask,
- like a brick to the face,
- look at your life; look at your choices,
- my social skills are flawless,
- professor of fauxlosophy,
- slacking off like hell,
- texting into the void,
- this is really stupid,
- why we can't have nice things
033. [Text]
The standard example of existential anguish is said to be standing on the edge of a cliff or other high place; there inevitably comes a moment in most self-aware individuals where they experience the realization that not only do they fear falling to their death, but there's nothing stopping them from throwing themselves off. I've always found it strange that a moment of experiencing true freedom like that would be considered distressing rather than a relief; knowing that there's nothing holding me back - that I am in full control of my own choices, whether it's to stand perfectly still or throw myself off - and there is nothing pre-written into whatever it is that I am that will dictate what I do either way is something I've always found calming.
It begs the question, however - do we choose our fears, and more importantly, do we choose how we respond to them?
If nothing is predetermined and everything about our lives comes down to choice, it makes sense to me that our fears also have to come down to choice, whether consciously or not. The part I'm not entirely sure of is the response.
For example, if one is attacked by some sort of animal, it makes sense that one would fear that animal. However, the response to animal attacks tend to vary - some will try to minimize their contact with that sort of animal as much as they can, while others will immerse themselves in it and attempt to desensitize themselves. Is there a particular thing that predetermines what choice a person is going to make?
I'm curious about your thoughts on it; you don't have to detail what fears you have and how you handle them, though if you would like to that might be helpful. I'm more interested in whether you think this sort of thing comes down to ingrained personality - something more inherent, I suppose - or personal choice, and whether such a thing can be changed.
Answer me anonymously if you wish; as always, your response is of more interest to me than your identity, and quite frankly I'm not in the mood to judge either way.
(As for the existential anguish, I've found over the years that I get the greatest satisfaction from neither the thought of staying put, nor the thought of throwing myself off - I've always enjoyed the notion that if I stand on the edge long enough, perhaps someone will act on their compulsion to put their hands against my back and shove.)
It begs the question, however - do we choose our fears, and more importantly, do we choose how we respond to them?
If nothing is predetermined and everything about our lives comes down to choice, it makes sense to me that our fears also have to come down to choice, whether consciously or not. The part I'm not entirely sure of is the response.
For example, if one is attacked by some sort of animal, it makes sense that one would fear that animal. However, the response to animal attacks tend to vary - some will try to minimize their contact with that sort of animal as much as they can, while others will immerse themselves in it and attempt to desensitize themselves. Is there a particular thing that predetermines what choice a person is going to make?
I'm curious about your thoughts on it; you don't have to detail what fears you have and how you handle them, though if you would like to that might be helpful. I'm more interested in whether you think this sort of thing comes down to ingrained personality - something more inherent, I suppose - or personal choice, and whether such a thing can be changed.
Answer me anonymously if you wish; as always, your response is of more interest to me than your identity, and quite frankly I'm not in the mood to judge either way.
(As for the existential anguish, I've found over the years that I get the greatest satisfaction from neither the thought of staying put, nor the thought of throwing myself off - I've always enjoyed the notion that if I stand on the edge long enough, perhaps someone will act on their compulsion to put their hands against my back and shove.)
[text]
So I think wariness is normal, if not something that people discuss; most seem to think that they should get over primal fears like that, which in my opinion is a mistake.
[text]
A mistake...so you think we all need to hang onto fears like that to survive?
[It makes sense, of course, and why shouldn't it? The problem herein lies in the fact that Jimmy lives in a world where danger is so constant that he's nearly numb to it at this point. Not that he even feels the affects of what usually would be fatal to someone normal in the first place.]
[text]
I think some degree of instinctive wariness is both normal and desirable - though bear in mind that I'm also a soldier who's had to rely on things like that to remain alive.
[text]
Like I said, I don't think it's impossible get over a fear, but it's...really hard for anybody to try to do. And I guess some people wouldn't want to take the effort to face their fears.
Or maybe they just don't want to in the first place.
[text]
The problem is with the rest of what you've stated - people are disinclined to do anything that seems difficult or unpleasant, even when it's to their benefit.
[text]
I guess when you think about it, people would probably be a lot happier if they at least tried, yeah? Might not make the world a better place or anything, but it would make the people living in it feel more at peace.
Re: [text]
that wasn't exactly
...
sure, kid.]
Something like that. Even if it didn't make the world better, progress would still be made.
[text]
I'd sure hope so, anyway! Facing your fears is always gonna be hard, but rewarding. Not that everyone is gonna do that, but it's nice to think about how much better people would probably feel if they did.
Even if you don't really make any progress, you can still say you tried!