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History demonstrates that deteriorating cultures develop a curious dedication to the unimportant. When one looses hope in dealing with things that matter, comfort and distraction can be found in petty pursuits. It's an adult version of thumb sucking.
At the core of this misguided mission to misery is fear - a four letter word more often than not guiding the course of twenty-first century America.
Teaching People to be Afraid
Watching one episode of a typical news program makes it easy to see why we're afraid. The flood of negative propaganda is unrelenting. High definition widescreens imprint the message there is a murderer, molester, and percolating terrorist within walking distance of every home in the USA.
In that it is the negative of life that's most likely to hurt us, there is a natural tendency to obsess about the dark stuff. Those seeking to enhance their revenue and ratings know that and thus keep us engaged enough to absorb the commercials selling a drug, product, or deal we can't do without. Along with greed and guilt, fear is one of the better ways to manipulate your fellow man.
What Does Fear Do?
Fear takes the joy out of life. When we become hyper-alert, our energy is diverted from healthier priorities. Once that process gets started, it can quickly become habit. That's one of the reasons combat soldiers have trouble adjusting to the normality of home. If the danger button is pushed too many times, the off switch stops working.
Fear is the foundation of most mental illness and the trigger for that runaway brain that keeps many folks up nights. A mind that won't stop becomes distracted, tired, and reactive. It's tough to be creative and fun when your brain is muddled with worry. Addictions thrive in the midst of fear and anxiety.
If you can make people afraid, you can maneuver them. We got trapped in two foreign entanglements per the real harms of 9-11 and the subsequent information inflations by misguided leadership. We were swindled into bailing out the banking system per a message of impending doom. Many were conned into voting for an inexperienced socialist with hope and change fantasies per fears that shut out the moderations of reason.
An Antidote to Living in Fear
We are not designed to live in fear. For everything about life that is broken or dangerous there are hundreds of things working beautifully. Your body may have a few broken parts, but most do their job remarkably well. It's the same with your car, your children, and about everything else in God's world.
One of the best ways to tune down the fear factor is to focus on what can be controlled over what can't. One person can't fix the economy, but one person can work hard, learn new skills, and find a way to be useful to others.
If you need an inspirational model for living beyond fear, look no further than Helen Keller. Though born deaf and blind, she learned to reach for her best and embrace the joy over the misery. Her quote, "Life is a bold adventure or nothing", leaves few excuses for those of us whose primary handicap is an addiction to fear itself.
Higher Authority
People who have a belief system explaining how we got here; what we should be doing while we are here; and where we are going when we leave here seem to face fear more easily than those operating solo. It's a big world and an even bigger universe, and perspective on the higher authority pulling it all together offers comfort, reason, and guidance as an antidote to fear.
Christian Minister Joel Osteen summed it up well, "Faith activates God - Fear activates the Enemy."
Know Your Enemy
Fear is a messenger designed to raise our awareness and be on its way. Problems develop when this four letter word starts camping out in our heart, mind, spirit, and actions. It's sort of like one of those old invading body snatcher movies. Except in this case the enemy is not a Martian from outer space - it's an internal gremlin that can mutate a nation as surely as a person.
There are bold and exciting days ahead! Our part in the mystery needs not be flavored with dread and cynicism - that's not what we're here for.
It's OK to be afraid - it's never OK to put that fear in charge - of ourselves or America. True conservative thinkers never confuse the wisdom of caution with the whine of fear. We are called the land of the free and the home of the brave for a reason... (770 words)
Dr. Carl Mumpower
The Candid Conservative
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