"Anyone who says he isn't afraid of anything is both stupid and lying." ~ David K. Reynolds from Constructive Living
Hehe. I love that.
As Reynolds continues: "Fear is a healthy emotion. It produces caution, and caution helps keep us alive. Fear, like pain, is unpleasant for anyone, but the discomfort is an alarm that calls our attention to some problem facing us. It is good to be afraid at times."
As Aristotle teaches us in his lessons on the "Virtuous Mean," it's not about being fearless. It's about having the proper amount of fear and the COURAGE to face that fear. In Aristotle's words, this is the virtuous mean between the "vice of excess" of fear (cowardice) and the "vice of deficiency" of fear (rashness).
Are you feeling fear around something right now? Start by honoring that. It's serving you in an important way. Once you've done that, a Constructive question to ask is: "Now what needs to be done?" :)
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PhilosophersNotes on Constructive Living by David K. Reynolds | |||||
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