The Fear Epidemic

This post was originally written on February 1, 2017.

We are told that Weapons of Mass Destruction are the greatest threat of our time. What we are not told is that the most destructive WMD of all is not chemical, biological, or nuclear. It is emotional. It is Fear.

Like the worst bioweapons, fear is highly contagious, extremely resilient, and nearly impossible to contain. What is worse, we are infecting each other without realizing it and social media is making it all too easy.

You can try to inoculate yourself through isolation but then in a way you’re still a victim, hiding because you’re scared of becoming more scared. You can try to be a lone hero, but then you’re a target to be made an example of; heroes make great scarecrows. Or maybe you can turn off your emotions entirely and ignore the tragedies unfolding around you but then you’re essentially giving up your humanity.

So what then? Should we just give up and wait for the inevitable? No, of course not. There may be no easy way out, but there’s a rugged path forward.

We may not remember our history well but we remember the stories we read. The stories of good versus evil, stories of sacrifice and courage. Stories like The Wizard of Oz. These stories remind us that we can all be made fearful by savage invaders, greedy villains, and the big man behind the curtain. We cannot hide from it, or numb ourselves, or fight it alone.

But if we unite together and help each other push through the fear, the loss, and the despair, we can pull down the curtains and expose the small men terrorizing our world.

And so to stop fear from destroying us, first we must stop spreading it. Stop posting the words and actions of fear mongers, stop creating doomsday scenarios, and start rallying. Not in the street necessarily, but in your own life.

To restore sanity, we must first not lose our own minds so start small, in your own home, with your loved ones. Each time you feel fear flaring up, don’t fuel it by reaching for more scary thoughts, snuff it out by doing something that helps you feel empathy, compassion, and solidarity…not in some grandiose way but in a way that brings you closer to others.

Each day, we must pledge our allegiance to the flag of humanity and the values for which it stands, as one people, indivisible, fighting for liberty and justice for all. This resistance will be the defining experience of our generation.

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