FEAR, TRUST, and PHOBIAS
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Fear is in the air supply.
Increasingly spread in every form of media, and harsher daily.
Should we fear everything, or fear nothing?
Sure, trust is important.
Should we trust anything or anyone?
Panophobia means being afraid of everything; not, as a first glance at the word might imply, the fear of pans.
FEAR can mean different things to everyone – at every age and stage of life. F.E.A.R. (false evidence appearing real), a phrase I enjoy because it reminds us not to always trust our eyes, ears, or words of those who seem (or are) authoritative.
Fear and social disruption seem to walk hand in hand because we are schooled to trust – we are accustomed to authority figures lying or bullying. Yet lately, it appears that’s a powerful illusion in my country (Canada) too. More glaringly in the United States, as well as many other propagandist-prone-led countries.
Now hold on, WE ARE accustomed to that.
Parents, headmasters, governments, police – they DO strike fear into us, but fear we feel varies widely from the child caught stealing candy in a store, and fear of being killed for no good reason, to fear of having lives cut short by an invisible virus. No, I’m not talking about COVID-19.
I mean that fear and anxiety inside our heads – belly tumult, about anything and everything we might imagine. While the degree of importance might be misread, its existence and FEAR are entirely real.
Which begs this question, what shouldn’t we fear? Or is it whom?
Being alive, having dodged many slings and arrows in my history – I’m not emboldened, I’m not a hermit, and I’m not afraid – but I’m not feeling ‘free from fear’ as much as I ought to …
In the end, it was Nixon’s tapes that proved his criminality, and he resigned to avoid prosecution – and then got a pardon. Perhaps Trump is now expecting a similar fate. Sadly, too many of his citizens have become sick or have died due to the reckless, rudderless dereliction of his duty.
The thing about democracy that genuinely sucks is that we get the leaders and leadership we deserve – not by willfulness, but by sitting silently and not voting in overwhelming numbers, because that is the ultimate justice, the supreme power, of citizens.
Yesterday’s big breaking news – proof Donald Trump lied. And plenty. Most would say, “That’s nothing new.”, but yesterday’s revelations by Bob Woodward’s new book (supported by tape recordings) make it enormously clear that the lies go beyond damnable and unethical – they reveal malfeasance at a level one might think criminally negligent.
Indeed, if any ordinary bureaucrat misleads any nation so horribly, they would be up on charges.
Trump, conversely, is both free and up for reelection. Trump ought to resign, but likely won’t. He ought to be defeated in November, but possibly won’t. Trump will go down horribly in history, but first, he must be removed from office.
Ronald Reagan said, “Trust, but verify.”
He was right for his time, but what is suitable for this – time of Trump, time of COVID-19, time of everyone-has a voice, or at least a social-media megaphone without spell-check or fact-checking …
But when trust is broken already, what is there to verify?
Should we trust anything that comes from government officials, doctors, medical experts, talking-heads, or media?
And if we do trust someone, should that be only within the close circle of those we know – or dare we to trust in strangers, believe people in charge, and organizations we look up to?
My tendency is to begin with a trusting attitude and then watch what people do over time to verify consistency with what they say.
Reader feedback:
Huge appreciation for the clean slate observation, JB, Edmonton, AB
Beautiful words, beautiful message! We are all suffering in many ways...but if you can, try to look at the bright side. Choose to be grateful, every day. The alternative is to be sucked into a vortex of complaints, negativity, and ill-will. And who wants that?, KV, Calgary, AB
Of course we must be positive, adapt and keep on living the best we can. Greetings it’s sunny and warm here, AG, Cancun, Mex.
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