Everyday Canvas

What about the Unknown?

Prompt: Fears of the Unknown
Do you have any fears of the unknown that sometimes make you feel uneasy? If so, for you which things, ideas or people would make you feel better or act like the safety net beneath a trapeze act?

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The unpredictability of things in the future can sometimes evoke fears in us human beings. Do I have such fears? I can't exactly pinpoint any; however, since the unknown usually happens in the future, I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Then, isn't death, which we are all facing at one time or another, is an unknown, too? But somehow, I don't fear death, maybe because it'll happen anyway.

Of course, this doesn't mean I don't have any fears. Right now, I fear a possible world war, but not just for me. I fear for the entire world and everyone in it, especially people and institutions I'm quite fond of.

Aside from its unpredictability, the unknown induces fear in me for being unfamiliar, for being in the future, in a situation I neither understand nor can adapt to. This is because new environments, people, ideas, or experiences can point to unfamiliar challenges that can be disorienting and can lead to fear, but at my age, I have so far learned how to dance with life and that is not a problem.

What would be a problem, though, would be something totally weird and scary showing up like a monster from outer space. As the likelihood of such a thing happening is close to nil, I don't even think of such far-out stuff. A world war, however, is something to fear as is the uncertainty of our world's current situation. This type of a future we can neither control nor adapt to, and this inability leads to feelings of being vulnerable and anxious.

Yet, facing the unknown--even war--is a powerful literary narrative device, producing stories of exploration, heroism, and self-discovery. In that way, fear of the unknown can also be a catalyst for creativity as it has been in the past. This means, in its essence, while the unknown can evoke fears and uncertainties, it also can become a source of inspiration and a potential for superhuman achievements.


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