Dear Editor,
To will a life devoid of preferences for particular subjective experiences, a life which remains unaffected by the chaotic, unpredictability of existence, is to welcome a life with its myriad of inherent misfortunes and disruptions. It is tantamount to what Friedrich Neitzsche referred to as the eternal recurrence of the same – a willingness to embrace and relive the gamut of one’s past life experiences over and over again: in essence it is to equally affirm pain and suffering as a given of life.
To exhibit this sort of courage which liberates us from the fear of suffering, the courage that relieves us of the fear of exposing our sheltered vulnerabilities, the courage to expose the contents of one’s psychological make-up, the courage to allow the free play and stimulation of every human faculty, the courage to become consciously aware of and experience the whole range of our sensibilities and sensitivities, essentially the courage to develop a healthy desire to feel every feeling and think every thought, is to display the courage which epitomizes a life which approximates fearlessness.
In this state of fearlessness, courage then becomes the beacon which beckons us to its presence, inviting us to exercise and consume its restless internal capacity which promises to bestow upon us unquantifiable intestinal fortitude. Tempted by its daring and the possibility for us to become potent human beings we ought to then allow courage free reign within our psychological milieu, thus enabling us to transcend the limitations of its binary opposite – miserable paralysing timidity. Transcending the life diminishing boundaries delineated by fear propels us to the apex of what Maslow’s pyramid of hierarchical needs refers to as self-actualisation.
In this mode of self-realisation having earlier ascended the lower rungs of the stairs of anxiety built on our basest of needs and the fear of the unknown we are now elevated to the summit of our human potentialities which were once inaccessible to us and fiercely guarded by fear.
Having ascended during our internal pilgrimage we now have a friend in courage and can confidently call on it to flex its spiritual muscles to disallow any future attempt from its flighty weaker accomplice – fear – to reverse our ascension displacing us from atop the plateau populated with beings experiencing the highest modes of human existence. We are now courageously well formed to incorporate Carl Jung’s partially diabolical shadow into our consciousness. We are no longer unafraid to probe the depths of our unconscious psyche, but are instead hastening to bring to the surface for peaceful coexistence all the dragons and demons that were once lurking in the shadows of our unconscious.
We can now denounce the Greek God Phobos severing ties with his fearful, panic stricken and flighty nature, embracing and celebrating instead the spirit of Ares whose brave nature now possesses us. We are thankful to the Greeks and remain unfazed by the fact that in spite of their mythology being irrational, it nevertheless offers inspiring insights, comfort and courage to the feeble, in particular those who are unable to face the perils of life. We are extremely grateful to Ares for possessing us during our daring quest to discover what it truly means to summit the mountain of human potential despite the presence of fear.
Medals of valour are now in short order for the gallant spirits who dared not remain perpetually imprisoned by the terror which once shackled their fearful minds. Valiant souls whose spiritual adventurism fuelled and sustained by stubborn determination bravely resolved to experience the heights possible for anyone riding on the back of courage. These enlightened, heroic self liberators who are now in possession of such a coveted virtue as courage now have an understandably loathsome distaste for subjects cloaked in fear.
The newly badged soldiers of fortitude having persevered, in the process becoming fully liberated from the dread that once impeded and threatened their entry into the promised land have now joined the ranks of the eternally resolute in spirit. While residues of fear still remain amongst the courageous victors it nonetheless exist in such insignificant proportions that any attempt to rear its head will be adventurously devoured. Hail to all the bold psyches whose odysseys have resulted in their victorious souls becoming transformed beyond the shores of those who fear to dare. Once gripped by fear these newly-minted pilgrims of valour dared to seek and so were spiritually rewarded with a life that will persistently pay homage to courage.
Orlando Patterson
