it was 1933 and the great depression was in full swing. in his first inaugural address,
franklin delano roosevelt said
, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
well, not quite. the stock market had just crashed. people had lost their life savings and their homes. some were jumping out of windows from office towers, too terrified of facing the future. there were a lot of things to fear, not just fear itself.
and here we are in the year 2020, with even more things to terrify us — international terrorism, nuclear holocaust, the destruction of the environment, violence against women. the list is unending. and now, a global pandemic sparked by a very communicable virus with lethal capability. let us be honest enough to speak boldly: at any given moment, there is enough greed, violence, suffering and horror in the world to make your blood run cold. we have plenty to fear, besides fear itself.
most of you reading this are afraid these days.
there are two important things to remember about fear. the first is that fear is a healthy human reaction to our experience of threat. fear is what we need to feel in order to learn the necessary caution, appropriate skepticism and wisdom we need to survive in this world. without it, you would never make it across a busy street. so listen to the fear that is urging you to do what health experts are telling you to do if you want to avoid becoming a statistic. wash your hands. avoid unnecessary contact. keep a safe distance. i would often tell clients who came to me to be treated for anxiety, “your anxiety is your friend. listen to it. figure out whether or not the threat is real. then, come up with a plan to deal with it.”
the second thing to remember is a little more serious. there is a great fear and, to give franklin d. his due, it is indeed, the fear of fear itself
— “
nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”