Fear is one of the oldest human emotions; like a shadow, it follows us. As children, we used to fear the dark, and we imagined a shapeless pile in the corner of the room to be a monster. As we are getting older, the darkness is replaced by more concrete fears: losing, being alone, being forgotten… Humans are afraid of the unknown; because the unknown is like an abyss we cannot control. Let’s think about it—doesn’t the unknown always make us uneasy? Sweaty palms when starting something for the first time, the heaviness in our stomachs before an exam, or even the aching feeling we experience when falling in love… All of these are rooted in the fear of uncertainty and inadequacy. What if I fail? What if I can’t love the way I want to? But perhaps the greatest fear comes from within the person. It’s realizing that the person they see in the mirror is different from the one they imagined. Being left alone with the weight of unlived dreams, unspoken words, and postponed courage. One day, as we navigate through all the labyrinths of life, we discover the darkest corner inside of us: Ourselves…
Discovering who I am, realizing my impossibilities, and, most importantly, fearing my being—this is what makes us human. People also fear losing their loved ones. A mother’s worry about protecting her child, a lover’s helplessness in the face of farewells, the possibility of friends drifting apart… These fears remind us that life is fleeting. Perhaps this is why our fears are also the deepest emotions that make us human. Still, fear is not a bad thing. On the contrary, in the right hands, it is a guide. The things we fear show us what we truly care about, and what is meaningful to us. It reminds us that life is not lived despite our fears but with them. What matters is not letting these fears stop us but finding the courage to move beyond them. Because even the darkest shadows dance with light.
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(Terappian, 2022)