America’s #1 Threat: Bears

Do you use antibacterial soap?
Did you avoid flying after 9/11?
Do you frequently watch the nightly news?
Is part of your vote based on fear of what “the
other guy” would do?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions
(and even if you didn’t), you probably fit squarely
in with the vast majority of people who misuse fear.

Yes, you read that right – at some level, fear is a
tool, and most of us use it poorly. This hit home for
me recently as I ran across a Tony Robbins quote:
“A decision made from fear is always the wrong
decision.”

That stopped me in my tracks.. I can think of at least
one big decision I’ve made in the last year that was
primarily fear-based. Can you?

Perhaps you can think of something you’d like to do,
career- or other-wise, that you haven’t allowed
yourself to do, out of fear.. and, fear can have us do
some crazy things.

Consider this..
• The FDA concluded that antibacterial soap is
no better at preventing infection than regular
soap. However, there is a greater risk of
bacterial resistance when antibacterial soap
is regularly used..
• When fewer people fly, more people drive.
And since driving is inherently less safe than
flying, the result of increased vehicle traffic
the year after Sept 11 was 1,595 additional
traffic fatalities in the U.S.
• Watching too much news can cause you to
fear.. bears. To really, really, fear bears :)
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/210979/december-01-2008/godless-killing-machines
• In New York, the top-ranking fear (above even
a terrorist attack) is “not being able to maintain
the same standard of living in the future”.

Ok, ok, how then to deal with fear that doesn’t make
sense?

First, accept that you’re human. As humans, we all
fall prey to misjudgments and miscalculations, and ..
sometimes our instincts are just plain wrong. (It
probably wouldn’t hurt to extend that compassion to
others as well.)

Next, think twice about your gut reaction. Instead of
allowing your fears to define you, allow yourself some
relief as you focus on the fears that are worth tackling.

If you’d like to read more, here’s one source of my
inspiration for this article:
http://www.utne.com/Politics/Overcoming-American-Fear-Culture-On-Eve-of-New-Presidency.aspx