Fear can be a true enemy.  No matter what ills of society, or tragedy one bears, fear is what causes people to do evil things.  Fear is at the heart of hatred. It causes people to act in many horrible ways. But fear is not born of hate.  It is born because of a lack of love. That is what often causes people to do hateful things.

These are my opinions based on my personal observance of people.  Of course fear originates in the brain as a reaction to a threat or anticipation of danger.  But it can cause people to hate. It can also be a reaction to fears a person has due to feelings of inadequacy.  Bullies are a good example of this.

Strength originates from a place of healthy self- esteem.  If a person thinks well of oneself it produces confidence. Love comes easily to such people.  My father was an excellent example of this. His self-esteem made him a kind, generous person who loved deeply.  He did not believe that people could think negatively about him. That is the power of loving oneself. He was comfortable in his own skin.  He wasn’t negatively affected by fear because of this. 

Fear is not always a bad thing.   It warns us of danger. It can be an omen of something wrong so that we may be more aware of the signs that something bad could happen.  An article in Smithsonian Magazine by Arash Javanbakht and Linda Saab, state:  

“Thinking about the circuitry of the brain and human psychology, some of the main chemicals that contribute to the “fight or flight” response are also involved in other positive emotional states, such as happiness and excitement. So, it makes sense that the high arousal state we experience during a scare may also be experienced in a more positive light.”  However fear’s negative side is the cause of so much that is wrong in the world.

The reason I think of fear as an enemy, is that it is easier to understand people’s actions when they do terrible things.  Understanding the reasons we fear different things uncovers the motivation of our actions. My greatest desire is that we each can determine the reasons that we fear different things in our lives.  Then, we will be able to learn to love more freely, without fear, and that fear may become only a sign of danger in the natural world and not of one another.