Do You Recognize Masks Of Fear?
It is not always easy to say that we are afraid. Fear may feel like a tremor passing through our body as a kind of sign of weakness. But this could not be further from the truth.
Fear is one of the most natural parts of man, and it is also one of our most useful qualities when it comes to survival. If we didn’t experience this unpleasant but helpful feeling, we certainly wouldn’t be here today. Fear is precisely the feeling that challenges us to be brave and stop our disregard.
Even though each of us feels fear, it is still something we find difficult to normalize. We fear that fear is a sign of weakness and that people despise us for this very reason.
Few people are empathetic with people who are scared. But we are all afraid of something. When we fear, we prefer to hide, because we do not want to be judged negatively. We don’t want to look weak or less valuable. So we disguise our fear and push it away. Often we do this by refusing to face situations that we find frightening.
As a result, fear disguises and grows stronger. Overcoming situations that we do not want to face will become even more difficult. If you want to know how to identify masks of fear, keep reading this article.
Masks of fear: laziness… “I don’t feel that way”
When we are afraid of something, sometimes we choose a lazy attitude for ourselves to free ourselves from the hassle of facing our fears. Laziness gives us a way to hide our fears. It is an excuse to avoid a fearful situation. “I don’t feel like it” or “I’ll do it tomorrow” are just one mask of fear. Basically, it allows us to dodge the possible negative consequences of facing our fears.
If we want to take off this mask, we need to change our attitudes. We must exercise the ability to move forward toward our goal, even if it becomes difficult, frightening, or uncomfortable.
Masks of fear: boredom… “it is boring”
One of the really common masks of fear is the feeling of boredom. If we see something dangerous, whether it is it or not, it is much easier for us to say that it is boring, instead of taking the risk to fight it.
For example, if I’m afraid to talk about a topic that’s deep inside I’m afraid I’ll get criticized, it’s easier for me to say that the topic I find boring (although in reality I’m pretty passionate about that topic).
That way, I have an excuse not to give a speech and I don’t have to show my fears. In other words, I am not judged as negatively and under as much pressure as if I had said that public speaking causes me anxiety. Unfortunately, we accept that earlier more easily than the latter.
We can fight the mask of dullness of fear by focusing on how much we enjoy what we do. Pay attention to the positive and try to get the most out of each experience.
Masks of fear: “well, no one even notices”
The purpose of this lie is to avoid the consequences of the mistake we make. It allows us to take faces that (we believe) will be more easily accepted. While we don’t use this lie very often, it is a way out of fear.
When we lie, we describe a part of ourselves or our life that is not authentic, and people come to know this fake part of us.
Hiding, lying about it or making excuses for something that terrifies us will help us in the short term. It prevents our fears from coming into daylight and allows us to feel more relaxed. The problem, as in the cases mentioned earlier, is that in the longer term we will not be able to get over the situations we have to get over.
If you sometimes use fear masks to your advantage, you may realize that it is difficult to face your fears and move forward in life. The most sensible, albeit difficult, thing is to accept the fact that everyone sometimes feels fear. Recognize your right to experience fear and stop covering it up with laziness, boredom, or lies. Do you dare to take off your fears from your masks?
