The Face of All Your Fears

It strikes me recently the level of fear many people have about the supposed on-coming zombie apocalypse. Zombies concern me less than how easily our fears can be manipulated by mass media. In reality, it is little more than cases of cannibalism, which is a frequent occurrence. While it may not be as common as flu outbreaks, there are several reported cases of cannibalism every year. Like shark attacks, it is unlikely to be eaten by a cannibal, but every year a few instances happen. What is different is how mass media has latched onto these recent stories, to play on our fears (and obsession with) of zombies. Like anything else, mass media responds to incentives, and if people want to hear about zombies, they will report on cannibalism.

So what of fear? We believe we should be allowed to live without fear, but like anything else, there is always some appropriate amount that is completely healthy. Is fear healthy? To be frank, yes, it is. How so? Consider this analogy between parents and children with citizens and government.

We all hate those obnoxious children we see in stores or on planes acting up. They are out of control, and the parents have no control over them. Why? Because the parents won't discipline their children. Why? Because the parents are scared of their children. For a child to be raised as a law abiding citizen in society, it is necessary the parents discipline their children. In other words, it is necessary for there to be a healthy amount of fear those children have towards their parents. Do I have a good relationship with my parents? Why yes I do, because I fear my father, as is completely healthy to be.

Likewise, there is a certain amount of fear citizens should have towards their government. It seems that as society evolves from one form of governance to another, our fear towards our rulers changes.

Giambattista Vico in his New Science sets up what is referred to as the "Three Ages of Man," with one extra era that is a result of going through the first three eras. He compares them to the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages of the Romans (which has a corollary in the Hindu Yugas). The first age is Theocracy, then follows Aristocracy, next Democracy, and finally ending in an intermittent period of individualism or Anarchy, and then we cycle back to Theocracy. When each era is analyzed based on where fear is directed, we can see how fear and governance evolve together.

First, in a theocracy our fears are not directed towards any human, at least not directly. We may fear the Inquisition or the Pope, but only indirectly through our fear of God. When society evolves into an aristocracy our fears move from God toward the people who we work for, and therefore those who provide for us. Since the aristocracy is usually under the rule of a monarch, the aristocracy usually fear the czar, emperor, or king; all the while the people love the monarch. When the people fear the monarch, usually this indicative of a tyranny.

Finally, when fear of those we work for, as in the proletariat's fear of their employers, moves from the aristocracy towards the heads of state, we hit a democracy. In this case there is an equal fear among the wealthy and the working classes toward their government. Of course, when no one fears their government, but the other way around, we have a society full of obnoxious brats like those children on planes. This is anarchy.

It not only lies in governance and parenting, fear lies in law enforcement, the work place, school, on the internet, et cetera. Charles Mason was right in a way, when he believed fear was the most useful tool humans have. Otherwise, we would end up a society of ingrates, though the sad thing is that we are practically already there.

In a very roundabout way, there is certain degree of Stockholm Syndrome that is necessary among everyone for society not to have a complete and total collapse. At what point does healthy fear cross into tyranny, or healthy fear cross into anarchy is subjective to culture and history. Needless to say, fear is not a bad thing. I suppose that's why fear exists.

"The face of all your fears... all your fears unleashed."
~At the Gates