Why do people fear the unknown?

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   Darrell Robertsposted 11 years ago

   Why do people fear the unknown?
   
   I do not understand why people fear the unknown. I would not fear the unknow, I would fear pain, I know pain hurts.  The unknown will be unknown until it is time for me to find out. It is like people who fear the future, why? Just deal with today.

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   tigresosalposted 11 years ago

   What a beautiful question!! Provoking many thoughts!!! To me, people do take a cautious stand for the unknown and their reactions to something unknown is a reflection of their way of to respond and the way they are trained to respond. This may look as they are afraid of things. But its not a fear but a precaution and that reaction tend to change from people to people.
   
   Fear comes from a sense of insecurity. Suppose, I am on a light-house viewing the sea. It would be beautiful for me and I would appreciate the beauty of nature. The violent waves are beautiful and there is no fear. But I would be afraid of going to sea as I do not know swimming and I am also afraid of sharks and squids. On the top of the light house I am secure as I am only looking at the sea from a distance. But if I go into the sea on a boat, I get afraid of the fear of falling down. This is only because, my sense of insecurity increases in the second case.   
   
   To endorse your view again, people only fear what they know as dangerous. This knowing can come to them as a part of their own life experience or from the experiences of their near and dear. There are people who save a lot of money even at the cost of their present consumption because they know either from their own experience or from training that one needs to be prepared for the eventualities of future unforeseen. Just dealing with today may make their life unpredictable in future. Still there are people who do not bother about future as their sense of security about future may be high. This is how I perceive the concept of fear.

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      Darrell Robertsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for such a thoughtful response

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   ChitrangadaSharanposted 11 years ago

   It is the basis of human nature and most people fear the unknown. What may happen is their greatest  worry. It is only those who have inner peace and strength, may think differently, but attaining that inner peace is quite difficult.

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   edhanposted 11 years ago

   An unknown is always fearful to people as it is like an unknown traps. People do not want to be a victim of unknown as there might be danger of not knowing what will happen. We like to deal with known things. We like to expect what are things to become or facts of what will happen. It is like people fear death as it is unknown to many of what is the end result.

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      Darrell Robertsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Death is going to happen.  There is no need to fear Death, just live for today and prepare the best you can for the end.
      
      Best wishes.

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   connorjposted 11 years ago

   
   
   There are some excellent answers here; therefore, I will just add something that I have not read yet. Fear manifests from this (so called) unknown because we have not prepared for it. Now on the surface, this preparation may seem easy; yet it is not if you are steeped in only logic and the constant need for certainty... One must change one's self to be properly prepared for this unknown...

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   Grim Masterposted 11 years ago

   Think of the Unknown as that door lurking in your basement you've never opened. You don't know what lies beyond this passage save for that it is a doorway leading somewhere. It has to, right?
   It's one of the things we learned in Film Studies; the audience will fear the door more than what is behind it.
   It's just a basic instinct we have. It all just manifests differently. Some people get over the fear, embrace it, or hate it. I, for one, am in love with the uncertain. We don't know what comes after life and that scares a lot of people.
   Death is too controlling because of this.

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      Darrell Robertsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hmm, I would have a blue print of the house so I would know what is supposed to be behind every door .  I would not fear what is behind the door.  I would not fear death, I find Death more intriguing than fearful. I only fear pain.

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   whonunuwhoposted 11 years ago

   Yes, deal with today and do not worry about tomorrow, for it will take care of itself. I believe that the fear of the unknown is greatly magnified in people's minds and it is the cause of many more severe dilemmas than would be necessary, if they quit the worrying, so much. Fear can be a good thing and can be responsible for out survival. It is the extremes that hurt the most. People tend to exaggerate or blow up the nature of the unknown in it most worse proportions and until the situation is resolved, they are controlled by their own emotions. Dictators have ruled by fear over the ages and mankind has been paralyzed and not succeeded to the point that we may well have, were it not for this hand-cuffing malady. Fear sells movies and books and a lot of things such as fire arms and survival equipment(Not necessarily bad) and our world seems to be under the spell of fears of all kinds.It causes wars and rumors of war. It makes nations build nuclear arsenals and outrageous wastes of funds go to build weapons because of fear. It also destroys nations and cultures. What could we all be, without fear?

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   UMHiramposted 11 years ago

   I think people fear the unknown because they are not in control of the outcome.  I used to the be that person a few years ago until I came to the realization that you can't control destiny.  Nowadays, I feel that you should take a leap of faith and deal with whatever comes your way - good, bad or indifferent.  You get one life and sometimes only one chance so I say go for broke ... have faith, work hard and don't over think things.

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      Darrell Robertsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I like this answer a lot.  I agree the lack of control makes people nervous.  I just think about how much I do not control and live at peace with knowing I am not in control of much. Best wishes.

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