FEAR

Fear is one of the most significant phenomena in the life of human beings. This feeling is complicated by the fact that it is not only a disjunctive emotion, but like sorrow it is capable of creating a one-sided bond with one’s fellows. A child escapes from a situation because of fear, and runs to the protection of someone else. The mechanism of fear does not directly demonstrate any superiority – indeed, it seems to denote a defeat. When we are afraid, we try to make ourselves as small as possible, but it is at this point that the other side of this feeling, involving a simultaneous thirst for superiority, becomes evident. Fearful individuals flee to seek the protection of others, and attempt to strengthen themselves in this way until they feel capable of meeting and triumphing over the dangers to which they feel exposed.

With fear, we are dealing with a phenomenon that is a deeply rooted organic function. It is a reflection of the primitive fear that seizes all living creatures. Humans are especially subject  to this fear because of their weakness and insecurity in the natural scheme of things. So inadequate is our inborn knowledge of the difficulties of life that children can never reconcile themselves with it unaided. Others must contribute whatever they lack. Children sense these difficulties as soon as they come into the world and the world begins to make its demands on them. There is always a danger that they will fail in striving to compensate for their insecurity, and develop a pessimistic philosophy as a result. Their most significant character trait becomes, therefore, a certain thirst for the help and consideration of those around her. The farther they are from solving life’s problems, the more cautious they are. If ever such children are forced to do something on their own, they carry with them everything they need for their retreat. They are always poised for flight, and naturally their most common and obvious character trait is the feeling of fearfulness.

We see the beginnings of confrontation in the way fear is expressed, perhaps indirectly and without open aggression. We sometimes gain a particularly clear insight into the workings of the psyche when pathological degenerations of this feeling occur. In these cases we see clearly how fearful individuals reach out for a helping hand, and seek to draw other people towards them and chain them to their side. Their relationship becomes similar to that of a master and slave, as if someone else had to be present to aid and support the anxious person. If we investigate this further we find many people who go through life demanding special attention. They have lost their independence to such an extent (as a result of inadequate and defective contact with life) that they demand exceptional privileges with extraordinary vehemence. No matter how much they seek out the company of others, they have little real social feeling. Let them show fear and fright, and they can establish their privileged position again. Fear helps them to both evade the demands of life and enslave all those about them. Finally fear worms its way into everyday relationships, and  becomes an individual’s most important instrument of domination.