Fear is an important aspect of our being. Needless to say, as humans we have myriads of fears. What this thread is about, however, is not some trivial fears, like fear of cockroach (unless you have a severe phobia for it), but literally your greatest, deepest fears, the fears the define who you are. Horrors that crawl into your worst nightmares. Terrors that drive and motivate your life. All sorts of bizarre phobias. Extensive discussions about the nature of fear, how to overcome certain fears, or whether a fear can or should be overcome at all, are also encouraged. A poll may be added later.
If evolution has favored fear, it is not without advantage. Thank to fear we learn to avoid danger. But sometimes a fear is excessive, irrational and hence unnecessary if not problematic. Sometimes, too, we need to face danger to accomplish something great. Viewing from a grand perspective of existence, there may not be any real danger at all.
My biggest fear used to be a kind of existential dread, namely, the fear of being unable to find or give a meaning to my existence. But I have overcome that by now. If this philosophical aspect of fear is shown to be greatly interested in, I may elaborate more on it.
Another great fear I used to have is that of being unable to fully realize my potential and become what I am capable of becoming. This fear has in recent time been greatly lessened, but I still prefer to put my all into realizing my potential.
The fear of death is more or less easy to overcome. The fear of pain, however, is more problematic. But I have learned how to disassociate/disidentify myself with my pain, and this helps a great deal in situations that require it.
An illustration of what I am talking about:
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Unlike the girl in this manga, I can do that on my own will. If the pain is not too intense, overwhelming or sudden, I can somehow manage it. (Note: I never intentionally cut myself, but small accidents happen often so I learned how to do this with my intuition).
Another former fear is that of not being accepted by others. As of now, while I very much appreciate it when I am being appreciated, I am not too saddened when not being accepted by other for no good reason. If the whole world is not with me, but fail to reasonably convince me that I'm wrong, then I'll still keep my view. Solitude is not that bad. Quite enjoyable actually. Over the years I have come to attain a certain degree of emotional mastery and independence, which grow along with the degree of intellectual mastery.
Certain fears are still lurking somewhere in my unconscious and subconscious. Sometimes they jump out and take over me in a manner beyond rational control. I am in the process of removing them gradually. Whether or not I should or can be entirely free from fear is another matter.
EDIT:
@Cruithne:
Isn't this pretty much the same thing as this thread?
Talking about how you are afraid of losing loved ones and failing to achieve your dreams or the futility of existence are not the same as posting scary pictures and videos and horror stories.
This thread has a more confessional nature. And possibly therapeutic.
It may endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of various fears and their causes. Furthermore, a person's philosophy or worldview can also determine their fears, hence the tackling of philosophical problems can undermine certain fears. So this thread can be philosophical at time. It's really vastly different from posting sensational stuffs for the thrill of the moment.
In other word, this thread can be considered a branch of the confession session thread, focusing on a specific aspect of the psyche, which is also a most fundamental and problematic aspect: fear. Anxiety, worry, anguish, and suchlike are born from fear. Which is why it requires special treatment.
 
