fearful / curious

It is a common to hear the the van-curious say they are scared of  [fill in the blank].  I rarely get involved in these discussions because

1. “you can’t reason someone out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into”, and the fears are rarely evidence-based

2. the fearful typically overlap with the learned helpless, and that crowd is dangerous to themselves and “expensive” to others.  Vandwelling is an exercise in vision, adaptability, and grit.

3. I do not enjoy the Yes, But…. game 

Everybody gets scared sometimes.  The trick is getting better at figuring out what’s real (and how to deal with the reality) and what’s neurotic (and how to deal with the thoughts/emotions).  

In therapeutic circles there is a saying that

> > emotions are information, not instructions > >

I find that continually helpful.  It reminds me a bit of Through the Looking Glass:

> > "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master — that’s all." > >