Fear is something that grips people in many ways, most of which I don’t understand. Spiders? They’re our eight-legged friends, crucial to the balance in the world’s ecosystem like any major predator. Afraid of the dark? Hello, night vision goggles.

I am not without petty fears myself, of course. Between the book It and the notion that they’re all masked molesters the circus found near the train tracks of some ramshackle town, clowns terrify me. Bats are devil mice with nasty, death-dealing leathery wings and sharp fangs. I’m entirely positive that they’re plotting against me every night near dusk, deep in their foul Satanic dwellings. They say in their squeaky, yet diabolical, bat-voices:

“Let’s go get in Branden’s hair tonight, perhaps give him rabies.”

“Sweet.”

The thing is, I know the clowns are only trying to make us laugh and I know that a bat trapped inside the house is more distraught over the situation than I ever could be. Recognizing your irrational fears yet still being unable to rid yourself of them evokes a type of helplessness that can only contribute to your horror.

There are two types of fear as far as I’m concerned. The irrational, everyday fears that are largely trivial, and then what I like to call “life fears”. These are large, overarching fears that continually grip people, rather than come and go as trivial fears do. Fear of great loss, of not being a good enough person, fear of death. Mine is that I’m afraid of the future, or of failing myself, more specifically.

I like to take life as it comes to me, I don’t necessarily want to be in control. I feel like if you try too hard to control things, you’ll only be disappointed or overwhelmed by circumstances out of your control eventually. I hardly ever plan anything ahead of time, for instance; I’m entirely unsure as to exactly how I became a college student. I’m riding the tides of life on a rickety surfboard, and I haven’t the slightest idea as to what the hell I’m doing. My surfboard could break at any given time, yet I don’t care and I don’t know why. If I fall off, I know how to swim. I’ll be alright. However, I can’t help but fear the day I fall and there will be a surprise current that will drag me to my doom, down through the depths of the unrelenting sea I am boldly traversing.

I won’t want to be rescued, but I’m starting to think that I should at least invest in a life jacket. Now where can I get one of those?

You've got an essay on fear, and not the greatest quote about fear of all time? Shame on you Mr. Lander...

Anywhozels I'll give you a better response when I get home from class tonight. Consider this more of a reminder post to myself.

My professor gave a handout and EVERY other essay had that FDR quote...I'd rather not beat it to death.

"SCULLY: I left behind a career in medicine to become an FBI agent four years ago because I believed in this country. Because I wanted to uphold its laws, to punish the guilty and to protect the innocent. I still believe in this country. But I believe that there are powerful men in the government who do not - men who have no respect for the law and who flout it with impunity. I have come to the conclusion that it is no longer possible to carry out my duties as an FBI agent.

SENATOR SORENSON: Are you tendering your resignation, Ms. Scully? Is that what you're trying to say?

SCULLY: No, sir. What I am saying is that there is a culture of lawlessness that has prevented me from doing my job. That the real target of this committee's investigation should be the men who are beyond prosecution and punishment. The men whose policies are behind the crimes that you are investigating."

However I have to confess I'm not sure where you're wanting to take your essay. Is it about your own personal struggles with fear, or about fear in general? If I had a better idea as to where you wanted to take your essay it would help a bit.

10/10

Great prose Lander - you expressed your points clearly and concisely. I was never lost in superficial words or unnecessary paragraphs. My only criticism are that it is very short. Maybe you could expand the focus of the paper to explain your ideas on courage as well as fear.

Meditations on a subject without specific purpose has been a literary tradition for centuries. see St. Augustine's Confessions.

My only criticism are that it is very short.

I never thought about contrasting courage...it could be hard given the tone of the essay.

I won’t want to be rescued, but I’m starting to think that I should at least invest in a life jacket. Now where can I get one of those?

Dunno what you're on about, but my essay has nothing to do with religion.