Enemies of Liberty are ruthless. To own your Liberty, you'd better come harder than your enemies..

Monday, February 16, 2015

Fear


Fear is a bitch.  It comes in many forms.  It can sneak up on you, or it can telegraph itself.  Fear of failure strikes many people.  Fear of pain can make most people change their mind about doing X. Fear of death, believe it or not, is often less stark than many other fears, such as failing to protect one's children or spouse.  Fear, and the related stress that comes with it, can kill you as dead as any bullet.

When one permits fear to prevent doing what is necessary, fear wins - as do your enemies.  Many of you have faced real fear on the battlefield in the military.  For many of you, I suspect it will be easier to go to the Green when the time comes than it is to sit in this limbo we are all enduring now.  Why? Because you have been there before, and while it may still scare the hell out of you when bullets begin flying your way again- you've probably conditioned yourself to the point that you may suffer the fear, but not inaction.

Most people in the Liberty Movement have never had anyone shooting at them in anger.  Few know what it is like to have angry men (or worse - calm professionals) try to gut you or break you at buckle-to-buckle range.  You will probably not face your most intense fear - terror - at a convenient time or place.

One can pontificate ad nauseum on how to overcome fears.  You can read books, listen to lectures, and try to convince yourself  'it is all in your head'.  Fear isn't just in your head - real fear twists your guts.  Let me give you my short & sweet 2 cents on the topic, based on a life in the martial arts and using those skills professionally at various times in my mis-spent youth: You can't rationalize or reason your way through fear.  You can't do anything but meet it head-on, then find whatever mechanism lies within you to push through the worst byproduct of fear - inaction, or as Max calls it, the freeze - and go to work.

I can't tell you how many seriously proficient martial artists I have known in my life who could whip most people on the mat on any given day, yet froze when challenged outside the dojo.  I have seen it too many times.  These are people who are bigger, stronger, faster, and physically tougher than most. These are people who know - intimately - what it feels like to get an eye swelled shut or a nose turned into a crimson gusher.  Yet outside of 'their element', fear won.

If you fear getting hit in the face, go to a dojo or boxing gym and train.  You'll get hit in the face, and slowly that fear will fall aside as a paralyzing fear.  If you are afraid of being choked-out - get your choke on and work past it.  I can't tell you how to prepare for that granddaddy mutha that will come at some point so that you won't suffer horrible consequences.  All I can say is get used to facing fears, get used to the process of facing fears - so that when that humdinger gets in your grille, you'll at least have a chance.  Do not let the fear of fear prevent you from tackling the issue now, when the stakes are lower.

Just please do not lie to yourself and assume you'll not be afraid.  Fear is an equal opportunity S.O.B. and there is no shame in admitting that it is real, and must be handled.

Max has written an outstanding piece on the topic, here.

Kerodin
III

1 comment:

  1. The Marine Corps in my opinion, does it best. Train the shit out of you: hard, long and no compromise. When it gets real, training will take over until experience begins .....as a side benefit, if you make it through the experience it will last a life time.
    Worker

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