Fear is something that every animal faces. Without this reaction to a situation, it’s unlikely the human race would have made it this far. Generally, fear is a protective emotion, but it can be an overwhelming feeling that can become problematic. However, our reaction is simply. Upon meeting fear, we have a choice: face it or flee from it. Either choice comes down to a matter of survival. We generally choose the option that will most likely allow us to live. Most people’s greatest fear is ultimately sudden death. There is nothing as terrifying as dying without warning. This acts as the base to most of people’s greatest fears which leads me to my former greatest fear.
My former greatest fear is snakes, and I know how it originated. My mother would shrill whenever a garter snake would slither by, and she speed towards the house hauling me behind her. The funny thing was that these harmless, non-poisonous creatures fled in terror at our presence. Still, I couldn’t overcome this fear, and it still remains to a lesser degree today.
However, there is another fear that is absolutely terrifying in my opinion. Personally, I consider myself to be a moderately intelligent person. I’m no Einstein, but I can play one mean game of Trivial Pursuit. Strangely, my greatest fear relates to this random comment. My greatest fear is some form of severe head trauma which would leave me cognizant, but I would lose that level of intelligence that I value so highly. It’s kind of silly because a traumatic brain injury would likely kill me or leave me comatose, but, if it didn’t, I wouldn’t know what I’d do with my life, and I probably wouldn’t be happy. Nothing in my mind could be worse (at least not in a realistic sense).
I can see how heights, snakes, or insects might be scary for others. There may even be genetic remnants that encourage these fears, but, eventually, these fears can be overcome with some behavioral techniques such as flooding, relaxation techniques, and exposure therapy. Still, I can’t think of anyway to apply these techniques to this fear. Solving problems is kind of fun in my opinion, but I can’t recognize the unrationality of this fear. Yet, this adds to the fear. If I were to suffer a traumatic head injury, I would also lose this ability along with many others. Maybe, I’m the only one who has this fear. Still, is there anyone who doesn’t find this scenario to be scary?
