To: alt.zen
From: ! (tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss)
Subject: Re: Fear
Date: 13 Feb 1995 02:03:06 -0800

|>|>Does anyone have any advice on how to confront or conquer fear??

|There are two kinds of fear.... "chump fear" and "wimp fear".  Chump 
|fear is the fear that you will be made a fool of. 

|The antidote to chump fear is foolishness. If I make a fool of myself 
|from time to time, any who would deliberately make a fool of me will see 
|that I don't care, and will find another to try to victimize. If I 
|experience the feeling of being a fool on purpose, when it happens by 
|accident it will not be strange or threatening, and thus will have no 
|power over me. The key word to overcoming chump fear is HUMOR.

and EXPLORATION.  continually taking chances where the outcome is likely
 to be the appearance of foolishness (giving expression to our deep mind
 in the process, usually), HUMOR will be the result.  I agree here

|Wimp fear is the fear that you will found to be wanting in some way - 
|not good enough, not capable enough, unable to help.

|The antidote to wimp fear is wisdom. If I learn as much as I am able and 
|attend to the issue at hand with full attention, although I may not 
|succeed (?) I will never have to apologize. 

this is short-sighted and anti-compassionate.  it is something which I
 would have said myself until very recently.  I think that the antidote
 to wimp fear is admission of weakness, becoming vulnerable -- clearly
 indicating my boundaries and limitations as I see them, and, most
 importantly, STEERING CLEAR OF CERTAINTY.  apology is very important
 in maintaining humility. others can see that I am human like they
 are if I am admitting of my learning (beginner's mind) and of my 
 lack of attention (novice rank)
 
|If I use my talents to look for as many options in any situations, 
|I will rarely fail. 

failure is my greatest asset, though it be avoided by those of us who 
 struggle to achieve, to 'make something out of ourselves'.  again, it 
 is how we demonstrate our learning and vulnerability.  while the 
 comparison of wisdom and foolishness is lovely, I do not think it 
 applies here.  more often the wisdom combines with the willingness to 
 become vulnerable and take chances which will make it possible for us 
 to look foolish.  the Court Jester was often the most intelligent and 
 insightful of the various characters of the Medieval retinue

|The key word in overcoming wimp fear is CREATIVITY.

I say that it is instead VULNERABILITY

|True Compassion is Ruthless 

True Wisdom is Foolish