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fear

it is said that the only thing that you need to fear
is fear itself*
this is yet another one of the pieces of confetti 
swirling in the breeze of human wisdom

the general thrust of this* aphorism 
is that fear is potentially harmful 

but this is too simplistic
 perhaps it is put this way 
because it sounds smart
but it is necessary to expand on this
 
because fear is clearly a useful emotion 
as are all emotions
they all tell us something :
either things are good 
or things are bad.

the trouble with this labelling
is that it is powered by and for dna survival
which is not what we all are aiming for all the time
but our dna is
always
so we have to temper the labeling always to see if 
it really leads to our happiness
which is not the same as the survival of dna



the problem with fear 
as with any emotion
is the issue of how to act on it 
generally it means that we should be careful
sometimes we avoid
sometimes we continue and adjust behaviour
but our choice is helped if we are aware
that fear is not us but :
that we have fear...
...a particular neural circuit operating at the time...

this realization helps us to
avoid being consumed and engulfed by fear 
because we recognise it as emotion... 
as a warning
then we make adjustments in a sensible way

our DNA gives us a carrot and a stick as positive and negative emotions
these are to get us to promote  survival of DNA
into future generations
craving or wanting or desire for...    positive emotion, the carrot 
and cringing and avoiding...    negative emotion, the stick

FEAR is the cringing to avoid negative emotion
so fear is just
the opposite of wanting
fear is wanting something not to be or happen
...so as to avoid negative emotion




  

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  • introduction
    • emotion : definition >
      • how the mind works
      • why live
      • why be happy
    • DNA >
      • survival
      • artificial intelligence
      • the self
      • reasons for living overlap
      • behind the reasons >
        • dna extended phenotype
        • overcome adversity
      • Meaning, which makes us content
    • who are you
    • DNA the architect of mind​
    • happiness fear and humour
  • the uselessness of mystery
  • invent happiness
    • unhappiness
    • positive emotions
    • negative emotions
    • mechanisms >
      • programmed
  • failures of emotions
    • the master
    • the gap
    • the other side of the gap
    • ignorance
    • binary versus analogue
    • blindness
    • challenges
    • escalation
    • power
    • mental illness is emotions out of control
    • drugs
    • crime
  • solutions
    • simple rules
    • diligence
    • focus
    • equanimity
    • awareness
    • intuitive
    • DNA vs you
  • humour
  • fear
  • depression
  • emotion meter
  • quiz
    • quiz answer
  • religion
  • questions for you
  • Emotions are autonomous
  • moods , feelings
  • the self and beneficial AI
  • you don't know what you are doing
  • emotions as weapons
  • stoicism
  • derivative thinking
  • taming the amygdala
  • criticism
  • philosophy
  • dna directives.
  • philosophers and emotions
  • philosophers
  • dna the designer...proof
  • response to emotions
  • science and emotion
  • social behaviour and emotions
  • emotions and politics
  • conatus
  • science
  • modern socioeconomic happiness
  • free will
  • introduction
  • dopamine and neurotransmitters
  • input process output