Horror/Scary: August 04, 2021 Issue [#10905]
<< July 28, 2021Horror/Scary Archives | More From This Day | Print This IssueAugust 18, 2021 >>




 This week: Fearlessness
  Edited by: W.D.Wilcox Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter



“Survival is the ability to swim in strange water.”
—Frank Herbert

“Self-preservation is the first principle of our nature.”
—Alexander Hamilton

“Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.”
—Winston Churchill

“After all, it has yet to be proved that intelligence has real survival value.”
—Arthur C. Clarke

“To survive it is often necessary to fight and to fight you have to dirty yourself.”
—George Orwell

“Hunger, love, pain, fear are some of those inner forces which rule the individual’s instinct for self preservation.”
—Albert Einstein




Word from our sponsor

ASIN: B07B63CTKX
Amazon's Price: $ 6.99


Letter from the editor

Fearlessness


We have a tendency to dismiss fear as weakness, but it’s not that simple. Over the years, I’ve come to understand fear as incredibly useful and here are a few of the things I’ve learned.

1. Courage and fear go hand in hand.

I used to think that people were courageous when they chose to do things I would be afraid to do. I was wrong. They could only be courageous in doing things they were afraid to do. Bravery doesn’t exist in the absence of trepidation.

I mistakenly assigned the characteristic of courage to others wishing I had the same. What I once failed to see was that I possessed the one requirement of courage — a fear to be faced head on. I came to understand that fear doesn’t negate courage. It beckons it.

2. Physiology can be misleading.

The bottom line is that fear is intended to keep us safe. Most people are familiar with the fight-or flight response. When our lives are threatened, physiology kicks in to protect us. We are hardwired for self-preservation.

Unfortunately, we may also feel a similar response to unfamiliar albeit non-threatening situations. Things that feel uncomfortable to us also put us on alert. For some, the response is just as intense whereas others experience an attenuated version.

We often get our signals crossed and respond to change with the same fervor as something that has the power to destroy us. Adrenaline doesn’t always mean resist or run...which leads us to the third point.

3. Fear is instructive.

When we’ve established that life indeed is not in danger, fear becomes useful in a very different way.

We often become accustomed to our way of being- even if it’s an existence that is less than the one we desire. We restrict ourselves for a variety of reasons, real or imagined.

Close examination of many of those reasons has fear at the foundation. Personal growth requires expansion and that can be terrifying. Whether you aim to be more vulnerable, more loving, or more financially stable, it will require a shifting of your mindset and breaking of previously established barriers.

In these scenarios, fear often points us to areas we need to investigate more closely. Though our instinct may be to flee, this type of fear is much-needed guidance.

In conclusion, fear itself isn’t a problem. Our reaction to our own fears is the issue. In making fear an adversary, we miss the challenge of deciphering the message that is being sent to us. When we choose to make it an ally, we gain so much more.

We can be paralyzed by it or choose to process it. If the former is your default approach then fearlessness is desirable. On the other hand, if you consciously choose to process, who needs fearlessness?


A new sig from 'undocked'




Editor's Picks

Read These If You Want To Survive

 
STATIC
Snack Time Open in new Window. (13+)
A day in the life of a vending machine.
#2248416 by Beholden Author IconMail Icon

STATIC
Ailurophobia Open in new Window. (13+)
Sometimes phobias are a good thing.
#2189893 by ForeverDreamer Author IconMail Icon

STATIC
In The Dark Open in new Window. (18+)
What's at the bottom of the stairs? [Daily Slice entry for 04-25 prompt].
#1863875 by Write_Mikey_Write! Author IconMail Icon

STATIC
The Closet Open in new Window. (18+)
Childhood fears ... or more? A SCREAMS!!! Entry
#2114335 by 🌕 HuntersMoon Author IconMail Icon

 
STATIC
The Horror in the Studio Open in new Window. (13+)
Contest entry for Weird Tales: The Horror in the Studio
#2251109 by D. Reed Whittaker Author IconMail Icon

 
STATIC
Forever Home Open in new Window. (13+)
It's good to be back...
#2250562 by Cubby Author IconMail Icon

STATIC
Jo-Jo the Clown Open in new Window. (18+)
Nowadays, kids just don't like clowns...
#1162589 by W.D.Wilcox Author IconMail Icon

 
Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Word from Writing.Com

Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
         https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Don't forget to support our sponsor!

ASIN: B004PICKDS
Amazon's Price: Price N/A


Ask & Answer

DEAD LETTERS

Did you know huge dust storms travel across the ocean?

NaNoNette Author Icon
I think that dust is following me. I also wonder if those dust clouds gave Philip Pullman his idea of dust as a mystical force in His Dark Materials.

Words Whirling 'Round Author Icon
Mt. Saint Helen's ash blew all the way to Russia. It was the consistency of talcum powder in Montana.

s Author Icon
Without the Saharan dust storms crossing the Atlantic, we wouldn't have South American rainforests. The world is a wonderful, complex machine and mankind is screwing it up for capital gain.

Kotaro Author Icon
Dust from Asia fertilizes Polynesian islands and African dust does the same for the Amazon.

Save the Turkeys! Author Icon
Why, yes I did. I also know dust storms can cover entire worlds! Well, I was told this, anyway.

waylesssad88
I actually didn't know that, I guess you learn something new every day! Thank for the fun fact!

elephantsealer Author Icon
These dust storms that can travel across the oceans, do these storms become destructive and damage not only homes but people inland? What a devastation these storms would bring if ever these get inland...


*Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet* Don't Be Shy! Write Into This Newsletter! *Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet*

This form allows you to submit an item on Writing.Com and feedback, comments or questions to the Writing.Com Newsletter Editors. In some cases, due to the volume of submissions we receive, please understand that all feedback and submissions may not be responded to or listed in a newsletter. Thank you, in advance, for any feedback you can provide!
Writing.Com Item ID To Highlight (Optional):

Send a comment or question to the editor!
Limited to 2,500 characters.
Word from our sponsor
ASIN: 0997970618
Amazon's Price: $ 14.99

Removal Instructions

To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.


<< July 28, 2021Horror/Scary Archives | More From This Day | Print This IssueAugust 18, 2021 >>

This printed copy is for your personal use only. Reproduction of this work in any other form is not allowed and does violate its copyright.