05-26-2016, 09:00 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-26-2016, 09:08 AM by dissonance.)
(05-26-2016, 07:31 AM)terry44 Wrote:(05-26-2016, 07:03 AM)Alpha360 Wrote: Just read the post I linked wrote by shannon, it begins with "All fears are unhealthy and unnecessary."
http://subliminal-talk.com/thread-5838-p...l#pid89452
With respect I disagree with him then. The fear that stops you walking off the edge of a cliff, or stepping into traffic or putting your hand in a fire are very healthy. Millions of years of evolution created fear to avoid danger, it stopped you fighting a sabre-toothed tiger or a much bigger human adversary. Or, if you had to fight, fear made you produce the adrenaline and other hormones to be able to fight effectively. Trouble is, it can feed on itself and become irrational, inappropriate, or excessive, and inappropriate fear can even be transmitted to you when very young by those around you.
He touched upon this perspective before somewhere, but he said that that fear of walking off the edge of a cliff is still not helpful. The main thing keeping you from walking off the edge of a cliff is your common sense and logic knowing that you will die from walking off the edge of a cliff. Fear of death or what will happen from walking off the edge of the cliff is different from actually desiring to and making the choice of walking off the cliff. You can still be 100% fearless of dying or walking off the cliff, but you will logically know and have the common sense and wisdom to realize that even though you don't fear dying and fear the fall off the cliff, it won't be a wise or safe decision to make.
Also, yes, evolution created fear to avoid danger, but we have evolved past those primitive brain mechanisms. We have more intelligence and consciousness and logic to make those decisions ourselves such as not fighting a tiger. Sometimes even, those primitive brain mechanisms, that evolved over so much time from the existence of humans, greatly hinder us. For example, the reward circuit in the brain that evolved in the past to pump dopamine into us when we do things that are beneficial, such as eating, or watch porn, or have sex. That exact reward circuitry is the root of the chemical and neurological brain changes that happen in addictions. We know it's not good to overeat and get fat, and we know its not good when our sex or porn habits become harmful, but we still do it.
