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How to overcome fear?
Fear is often what has prevented us from living our lives fully. Overcoming fear is therefore essential to be able to make the necessary changes and accept the associated risks. However, it is crucial to simultaneously work on letting go of one's beliefs to avoid embarking on illusory paths where one eventually loses touch with reality, deceives oneself, and ultimately harms others seriously without even realizing it.
Objective
We do not know of a recipe to completely eliminate fear. Moreover, in small doses, fear is probably useful, as it invites us to be vigilant and fully engaged.
The goal is therefore simply to be able to overcome one's fear, that is, to have actions guided by reason rather than by fears.
Analyzing the effects of fear
The approach we recommend consists in identifying cases where fear has prevailed, which are of two types:
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The final decision is the product of fear, opposed to reason
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Methods to regulate fear
The techniques to reduce the level of fear are:
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Avoiding risk (inhibition, routine)
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Experimentation with minimalism (better identifying our non-essential needs)
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Compensating fear with pleasure
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Working on one's cognitive-affective system to limit irrational fear resulting from past experiences.
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Confronting fear with reason
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The objective at this level is to limit reliance on avoidance.
Furthermore, when fear is linked to uncertainty about the future, one should identify what is within our control and what is not, in order to act on what is within our control:
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The game of alliances is a source of fear, due to its versatility. One can opt for more sincere human relationships, but less effective in terms of social advancement.
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Impermanence is also a source of fear, and our almost only hold is to live fully in the present moment.
Seeking a certain minimalism in one's life also helps limit the fear of demotion and, more generally, anxieties about the future.
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Deepening
See the question 'Should we listen to our emotions?'.
Regarding the game of alliances, refer to the questions 'What are the consequences of social ambition?' and 'How to succeed in life?'.
Refer to the question 'What is impermanence?' to understand how to best deal with it, and to the question 'Why is minimalism desirable?' to understand the method to follow and the benefits associated with minimalism.
Finally, to understand the work to be done in addition to fear regulation, refer to the question 'How to succeed in life?'.