Fear And Self

"Fear comes from the selfish idea of cutting one's self off from the universe."
- Swami Vivekananda.

Selfishness represents itself in many ways, but there is one repeated basis for this kind of behavior, that of fear. The instinct of survival is a primal need in all living things. The dangers of the modern world may be fewer the natural tendency for self-preservation remains.

The primitive instincts that have helped man develop seem, primarily, founded in feeling or fear. If it feels good, do it if it scares us, don't. It is a biological carrot and stick. As we have evolved, this drive has not changed to reflect our transition from a physical threat to the emotional minefield we find ourselves living in.

We encounter selfishness in others and through self-examination ourselves, and we consider it with distaste, loathing, and hate. The reality is that we should be treating it as an illness that stems from our primal past.

When we talk of the soul-song and selfishness, it is an inner need to hear our spiritual music. Our fear lies in not being heeded or the mortal fear of our song fading when we are gone.

The wealthy man that tries to amass more riches is concealing his fear of poverty. The social loud-mouth that shouts self-praise haunted by failure, the isolationist who shuns everybody, both are displaying the need to fit in. Everyone wishes to have their existence acknowledge and, after death, remembered.

The anxiety to survive has value when applied to artists who create themselves for posterity may be lauded by the masses. Intellectuals are driven to leave a legacy of understanding and knowledge, and anyone may want to feel a taste of immortality through their offspring.

Can we distill the raw emotion of selfishness to extract those aspects that are worthwhile and discard those that show the crueler side of ourselves?

The conflict that is our spiritual self does make this possible. Our soul-song is not heard and remembered for being the loudest, but by being the sweetest. Not for being a solo performance but by the addition it gives to the universal melody. Our soul-song can be heard throughout the ages and remembered by those who listen.

Repeatedly we talk of love being a powerful force, and it is also paramount in calming our selfish fear. When we find the balance between our love of self and our love of the Universe, we can find serenity and meaning in life.

When we see our fear for what it is and look away from it. Apply ourselves to easing the path of other people, then we become the healer and are healed. In contrast, we must applaud ourselves and remind ourselves that we add value to the world by our existence. The Divine seeks us to be both a unique individual and an essential stitch in the tapestry of life.

You are the most perfect You. It is your destiny to walk in bliss along the fine line of being both man and humanity.