😱 TREE 469: How afraid should you be?

I’ve noticed a lot of “news” articles recently with headlines that begin with “How afraid should you be…” and end with something bad that hasn’t happened, may never happen and even it is does happen is unlikely to be as terrible as the article makes it out to be.

First, these articles aren’t news, even if they are on the BBC. News is an explanation of things that have already happened or are in the process of actually happening.

Second, you know what I think of anyone telling you what you should do. (Also.)

Third, headlines like this make me think of the bible’s stories of people in situations where fear is a perfectly reasonable response and God or Jesus or a divine messenger say, “Don’t be afraid”. And the reason is that the situation they are in requires them to do something more useful than fight, flee or freeze.

And that makes me think of the Bene Gesserit litany against fear (I’ve just started book three of the main Dune trilogy.):

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

And that makes me think of these pre-mass-internet panels from Calvin and Hobbes”

Which brings me to a question: How afraid do you want to be?

I like to keep my fear level down around zero. To help me do that, I don’t read “news” articles that assume I should be afraid. I don’t read “news” articles about things that haven’t happened yet.

Yesterday, Spotify’s algorithm decided I needed to discover DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ. It was right! I advise you to put the whole album on and let it wash over you for 87 minutes. (Spotify)

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Grow slowly
Jeff