‘The oldest and strongest
emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear
of the unknown’
So we came across this quote by Howard Phillips Lovecraft in class today. I have heard of this quote many times but have not really given much thought to it until today. We all know that fear is a powerful and primitive human emotion, and the ultimate fear of mankind is the fear of death. Everyone feels it one way or another, even the bravest. So what is it about death that scares us so much?
Is it the fear of pain and suffering or simply the fear of the unknown that scares us the most? Since death is the ultimate unknown, I would say it is the fear of not knowing what will happen that frightens us the most. This is because it is common and in our human nature to want to understand and make sense of the world around us but death can never be fully understood while we are still alive. It is unavoidable and incontrollable. Even though every religion has a different view to life after death, however, not a single person has survived it to tell us what really happens afterlife. That is why it holds the deepest fear of mankind.
In contrast to death being the ultimate fear of mankind, in my opinion, the fear of the unknown during life is just as scary. ‘Fear of the unknown’, I find it truly relevant to what I am feeling now. The fear of not knowing where I will end up or what I will be doing after I am done with this course worries me everyday. It is starting to hit me more and more since we only have less than two months left in Florence. After that, I will have to bid goodbye to my student life and face whatever that is out there for me in the real world.
This is a phase of life that everyone encounters. The uncertainty comes to cast a shadow over our judgment when the questions are piling up faster than the answers. Not knowing anything about my future bothers me. I need to know. I like knowing what is about to happen. I like anticipating for what is coming next. Like many people, safe is good most of the times. Lets admit this, everyone likes to be given warnings or signs before something happens regardless of if it is good or bad. Unfortunately, many things in life are unknowable and there is nothing we can do about it except for trying to live life to the fullest and face the unknown with an open mind.
Shu Wei Wong
15.6.13
So we came across this quote by Howard Phillips Lovecraft in class today. I have heard of this quote many times but have not really given much thought to it until today. We all know that fear is a powerful and primitive human emotion, and the ultimate fear of mankind is the fear of death. Everyone feels it one way or another, even the bravest. So what is it about death that scares us so much?
Is it the fear of pain and suffering or simply the fear of the unknown that scares us the most? Since death is the ultimate unknown, I would say it is the fear of not knowing what will happen that frightens us the most. This is because it is common and in our human nature to want to understand and make sense of the world around us but death can never be fully understood while we are still alive. It is unavoidable and incontrollable. Even though every religion has a different view to life after death, however, not a single person has survived it to tell us what really happens afterlife. That is why it holds the deepest fear of mankind.
In contrast to death being the ultimate fear of mankind, in my opinion, the fear of the unknown during life is just as scary. ‘Fear of the unknown’, I find it truly relevant to what I am feeling now. The fear of not knowing where I will end up or what I will be doing after I am done with this course worries me everyday. It is starting to hit me more and more since we only have less than two months left in Florence. After that, I will have to bid goodbye to my student life and face whatever that is out there for me in the real world.
This is a phase of life that everyone encounters. The uncertainty comes to cast a shadow over our judgment when the questions are piling up faster than the answers. Not knowing anything about my future bothers me. I need to know. I like knowing what is about to happen. I like anticipating for what is coming next. Like many people, safe is good most of the times. Lets admit this, everyone likes to be given warnings or signs before something happens regardless of if it is good or bad. Unfortunately, many things in life are unknowable and there is nothing we can do about it except for trying to live life to the fullest and face the unknown with an open mind.
Shu Wei Wong
15.6.13
No comments:
Post a Comment