Addressing The Fear Of Not Helping Yourself Too Much

Summary

The article discusses the importance of accepting fear rather than succumbing to the fear of fear, emphasizing the futility of trying to control the uncontrollable and the necessity of embracing the present moment.

Abstract

The text addresses the psychological impact of fear during a pandemic, criticizing the notion that fear itself decreases immunity and increases susceptibility to disease. It suggests that the real issue is not fear but the fear of fear, which exacerbates stress and anxiety. The author argues for the acceptance of fear as a natural response, advocating for a cooperative relationship with one's body to alleviate fear without trying to escape or deny it. The article emphasizes the importance of honest self-inquiry and the acceptance of 'what is' rather than striving for an idealized state of being. It warns against the pitfalls of self-improvement as a means of hiding from or denying one's true feelings, quoting Jiddu Krishnamurti to support the idea that understanding oneself without the need to change is the true path to transformation.

Opinions

The author believes that advice which perpetuates a cycle of panic is unhelpful and that what is truly needed is acceptance and courage to face reality.
It is suggested that fearing fear is counterproductive and that acknowledging and accepting fear, including the fear of death, is more beneficial than trying to suppress it.
The text criticizes the idea that fear can be simply turned off, calling it nonsensical.
The author posits that self-improvement can become a form of self-deception if it is used to avoid confronting uncomfortable truths about oneself.
The article promotes the view that trying to imitate an ideal state or someone else's wisdom is less effective than using that wisdom to inspire genuine self-inquiry.
It is emphasized that any action taken out of fear is still rooted in fear and that the only way to move beyond fear is to accept it fully.
The author encourages readers to focus on the present reality ('what is') rather than chasing an idealized future, as the latter can lead to unnecessary stress and is ultimately futile.

Addressing The Fear Of Not Helping Yourself Too Much

I mean if you are triggered by someone saying fear makes you vulnerable to diseases, then there you have it, what? More fear, what else? You were better off initially, your body-mind system would gradually accept it and learn to let go of what is not in your control.

But now someone comes and says fear decreases your immunity power and therefore susceptible to diseases. Boom, as if you had control over what will fear you or not. Bullshit, now you had lost any chance of recovering from the initial shock of a pandemic. Now you have more fear, not only fear but fear of fear.

People that cleverly informs you that fear makes you susceptible to illness does not have any clue on your psychology or mental state. You do not need more advice to keep you in the panic circle forever.

What you need is to have the acceptance and courage to stand with the what is and learn to cooperate with your body to ease off the stress and fear, that it is already suffering.

Everyone or most of us have fear of death, but saying fearing about death makes you susceptible to death is nonsensical as if you could just stop fearing the possibility of your own nonexistence.

What we perhaps need is to acknowledge our fear of death or any other fears right now and accept it fully and to even contemplate on the subject of fear without flinching or forcing but patiently and kindly cooperate with your body in easing off, to have clarity and releasing all the burdened and imprisoned fearful thoughts.

As human beings, we perhaps have the capacity to see clearly the futility of holding on to some fears and trying to control what is not in your control, etc not because someone said so or not because it is the ideal state because that would be forcing yourself to imitate someone or some ideal state.

And imitating is not helpful but being inspired by their wisdom as a drive for honest inquiry within ourselves can be great. So what is required of us as an honest meditative inquiry is to come in terms with ‘what is’ and to see it unflinching no matter how ugly it looks.

You can always come back to ‘what is’, you can always afford to because it is true anyway and you are alive. It may not be some ideal healthy state of being, but forcing yourself to be in a different state from what you are already is adding up more stress by pretending to be improving yourself towards some ideal future state. If you are honest you will see it is a futile attempt and the only sane move is to come back to ‘what is’.

And this is where self-improvement can get tricky and end up being an endless battle for nothing. Self-improvement is not an excuse to hide the shit deep down and hopes it never appears in our awareness and makes us feel bad again.

This is when self-improvement becomes masturbation as per Tyler Durden from Fight Club movie.

“If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it, then what you are undergoes a transformation.” ― Jiddu Krishnamurti

Do not fall for the fear of missing out on the possibility of everlasting life or an ideal state if you fail to imitate some information or someone. When you fall for it, which is of course out of fear, then you will be just running around and escaping in hope but not facing what is.

If you are afraid then that is the truth, not some ideal fantasy of being peaceful or in some courageous state. The only sane move and difficult move is to accept that and learn to be with it. Any movement from fear is fear no matter what or who does it.

You do not need more information if you are willing to look into what is. You need more information because you hope you can imitate/copy it into some ideal state.

Thank You ❤