Question

In what way do our fears prepare or fail to prepare us for the future events in "What Fear Can Teach Us" By Karen Thompson? As we grow up, we're often encouraged to think of fear as a weakness, just another childish thing to discard like baby teeth or roller skates. And I think it's no accident that we think this way. Neuroscientists have actually shown that human beings are hard-wired to be optimists. So maybe that's why we think of fear, sometimes, as a danger in and of itself. "Don't worry," we like to say to one another. "Don't panic." In English, fear is something we conquer. It's something we fight. It's something we overcome. But what if we looked at fear in a fresh way? What if we thought of fear as an amazing act of the imagination, something that can be as profound and insightful as storytelling itself?

Answer 1

In the text "What Fear Can Teach Us," Karen Thompson proposes that fear is not necessarily a problem, or a feeling that we need to get rid of as soon as possible. Instead, fear can help us learn by preparing us for the future. She suggests that fear should be consider storytelling, and that by thinking about this stories, but not allowing them to control us, we might be able to better prepare for the difficulties that the future might present to us, as some of our fears do end up becoming reality.