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On fear...
Fellow LJer bsgi observed, regarding a previous post:
No doubt, fear is certainly a motivator. Throughout history, it has been ubiquitous in that role, ever-popular among many parents, teachers, governments, and employers. Responding to fear can cause you to decide to do things you never otherwise would have believed you could do.
But while fear is a motivator, it is not the only one, nor does it necessarily provide superior results, much less guaranteed ones.
During my stint with the Marines, there came a point during basic training when recruits who had repeatedly failed to finish the morning P.T. run were assembled together and told, "Fall out during tomorrow's run, and you'll be sent back to repeat the last three weeks of basic training." Some of that group buckled down and finished the run; then again, some others didn't.
Conceivably, similar (or even better) results could have been obtained by promising a reward instead of a punishment, but in either case, what ultimately allowed the finishers to succeed was their ability to change their beliefs (from "I can't run 3 miles," to "I can run 3 miles").
One of my favorite passages on the subject of fear comes from Frank Herbert, writing in his Dune mode:
...to believe in something unseen and unexperienced, instead of guts, one may only need a lot of fear.Interesting point, but I believe this blurs the distinction between motivation and belief. The former is a prerequisite for the latter, I think.
No doubt, fear is certainly a motivator. Throughout history, it has been ubiquitous in that role, ever-popular among many parents, teachers, governments, and employers. Responding to fear can cause you to decide to do things you never otherwise would have believed you could do.
But while fear is a motivator, it is not the only one, nor does it necessarily provide superior results, much less guaranteed ones.
During my stint with the Marines, there came a point during basic training when recruits who had repeatedly failed to finish the morning P.T. run were assembled together and told, "Fall out during tomorrow's run, and you'll be sent back to repeat the last three weeks of basic training." Some of that group buckled down and finished the run; then again, some others didn't.
Conceivably, similar (or even better) results could have been obtained by promising a reward instead of a punishment, but in either case, what ultimately allowed the finishers to succeed was their ability to change their beliefs (from "I can't run 3 miles," to "I can run 3 miles").
One of my favorite passages on the subject of fear comes from Frank Herbert, writing in his Dune mode:
I must not fear.Cheers...
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit to to pass over me and through me.
And when it is gone past me I will turn to see fear's path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
no subject
My point about belief was simply to say that "guts" was not the only reason that a person could have for forming a belief.
tells me we may be speaking about different things entirely.
Whatever the motivator - fear, conscience, something lofty or something base - ultimately, it takes an act of will (perhaps the word "guts" is a bit too colloquial for this context) to believe in something when one lacks the conventional supports for that belief.
Someday, I will have to expand on that previous post. Most certainly so.
Cheers...
Re:
I agree that a conscios act, will if you will, is necessary to accept something when one's rational senses do not support acceptance otherwise.
Thanks for the dialog. Have a safe trip home to Colorado.