What are our greatest fears as humans?



Did you know that one of them is extinction?

In a hierarchy of fears, extinction forms the base of all of our fears.  When confronted with and pandemic, this fear jumps out above all, and it is a time when people can make practical or dangerous decisions.

Another fear is the fear of separation, and this is what happens when we are quarantined.  When governments protect their population, some of these decisions run into our fear of loss of autonomy. When our movements are restricted, this fear shouts out as us, as we cannot travel and feel controlled by our circumstances.

These are some feelings I explore in my book series, the Chronicles of Nadine.  When Muquin the last Silver Wing Dragon attacks Nadine’s village, the villagers fear that they will all wiped out. Nadine’s friends, family, and fellow villagers are separated from help and are confined in tunnels with no way of communicating with the outside world.

The written word, like the spoken word, is extremely powerful. The words we use when speaking to pur young people paint a picture of what our future holds.  If we instill a fear of the future in them, we effectively immobilise them.  While it is necessary to be pragmatic and sensible, we can not become trapped by fear that causes more far-reaching effects.

Let us rather teach our teens and emerging adults about the resilience of the human spirit.  About how as a species we have survived countless illnesses and wars and that the human spirit will endure.

Books provide people with a way of confronting fear and processing it.

Take this time to learn, encourage and spend time with your family.

Strategies that minimize basic fears include:

Fears: Extinction. We are not all going to die out. The mortality rate is around 3% and included in those statistics are already immune compromised. Build up your immune system.
Fear: Separation: Have dinner together and play board games with your immediate family. Connect with friends on Skype, Zoom, and WhatsApp. But remember to wash your hands before putting our hands near your mouth and face.

Fear: Autonomy: Celebrate the wins, less time in traffic, more time to pursue learning, hobbies and family.
This is a time to work on building your health and immune system, which is something that we should do in any case, but now we have a bigger incentive. It is also a time to build faith in people and empower them knowing that will it strengthen them going forward.

And you can now buy e-books, without leaving home. :-)

Keep spreading face and courage, while we weather this storm.

On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085D9BHVB
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