Do You Know The Disguises Of Fear?
Because of the disguises of fear, it is not always easy to know when we are afraid. It can feel as if the chills that pass through our body are a sign of weakness. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Being afraid is one of the most natural parts of being human, and one of the most beneficial in terms of survival. If we did not experience this unpleasant but helpful feeling, we probably would not be here today. It is precisely this feeling that challenges us to be brave and that prevents us from being indefensible.
Even though everyone experiences fear, it is still difficult for us to normalize it. We are afraid that fear is a sign of weakness and that people will look down on us because of it.
Few people are empathetic with people who are afraid. However, we are all afraid of something. We prefer to hide it because we do not want to be judged negatively. We do not want to seem weak or less valuable. So therefore we mask our fear and push it away. Many times we do this by refusing to face situations that we think are scary.
The result is that the fear wears off and only gets stronger. It becomes much more difficult for us to overcome situations we do not want to face. If you want to know how to recognize the disguises of fear, read on.
The disguises of fear: laziness… “I do not feel it”
When we are afraid of something, we sometimes choose laziness as an attitude to free ourselves from the effort involved in meeting our fears. Laziness gives us a way to hide our fears. It is an excuse to avoid frightening situations. “I do not feel for it” or “I will do it tomorrow” are just some of the disguises of fear. Basically, it allows us to avoid the possible negative consequences of facing our fears.
If we want to remove this disguise, we must change our attitude. We must cultivate the ability to move towards our goal, even if it becomes difficult, scary or inconvenient.
The disguises of fear: boredom… “It got boring”
One of the disguises of fear that is very common is boredom. If we have a problem we perceive as very dangerous, whether it is or not, it is much easier and more pleasant to say that we were bored with it than to risk fighting it.
For example, if I’m afraid to talk about a topic I’m familiar with because I’m deeply afraid of criticism, it’s easier for me to say that I think the topic is boring (even though I actually think it is is very interesting).
In this way, I have an excuse not to speak and not to show my fear. To put it another way, I will not be judged in a negative way or pressured as much as if I had said that speaking in public gives me anxiety. Unfortunately, we admit the former more easily than we do the latter.
We can combat the disguise of fear by boredom by focusing on how much we enjoy what we do. Pay attention to the positive and get the most out of each experience.
The disguises of fear: “Well, no one will notice”
The purpose of this lie is to get away with the consequences of making a mistake. It allows us to put on a face that – we think – will be more easily accepted. So, even though we do not use this lie very often, it is an escape route that actually feeds our fears.
When we lie, we portray a part of ourselves or our lives that is not authentic, and people get to know this part of us that we just invented.
Hiding that something scares us and lying about it or making excuses helps us in the short term. It keeps our anxiety from coming to the surface so we can feel more relaxed. The problem is that, as in the previous cases, in the long run we will not overcome the situation that we have to overcome.
If you sometimes use the disguises of fear, you may realize that you are making it harder for yourself to face your fears and move on with your life. The most sensible, but most difficult thing you can do is accept that we all feel fear sometimes. Confirm your right to experience it and stop hiding it with laziness, boredom or lies. Do you dare to take off the disguise of your fears?
