Tuesday, October 16, 2007

fear and cowardice

Fear is not the problem, the problem is cowardice.

Reason provides the tools to allow one to acknowledge the unknowable. It can be conceptualized, but not experienced, and its unfathomable nature defies the reach of reason.

What reason cannot grasp inspires emotion; the imperceptible evokes uneasiness. That which dwells in the darkness of ignorance threatens the serenity of the world view; that which lies beyond illumination menaces the ramshackle foundation of mind.

For many, the world is a fear fulled place.When one's understanding is limited, uncertainty looms within the shadow of every tower of ignorance. In such dismal gloom, the flame of hatred brings comfort; warming fear chilled innards, but providing scant light with such heat.

When seeking to deprive another of such comfort without offering suitable replacements, the reaction is often anger. Hatred becomes seen as a right, not a privilege; and thus coveted with fierce intensity. Anyone that would deny this emotion becomes the enemy- and becomes subject to whatever violence seems suitable.

To look beyond fear, to see it as normal and human; rather than a fatal weakness, lessens the grip of dread, and allows other options besides hatred to be seen as acceptable. Inflicting pain upon others to mitigate terror speaks of contempt and cowardice; not courage.

Accepting the limits of both reason and knowledge afford a more realistic view of the unknown, and a way to face it without harming others.

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