Fear has always been used as a tool to resist change. From anti-suffrage postcards in the early 1900s to modern memes about trans kids, immigrants, and climate change, the tactic is the same: If they rise, we fall. This piece explores the stories behind those images and asks what it would take to see the fear underneath and let it go.
Fear of losing when we don’t know what good the future can bring? We cling to today as if change isn’t constant.
Example: With the internet, people feared that lots of jobs would be lost. Yet no one could predict all the new jobs that would be created.
Fear constrains our creativity and ability to see new possibilities. And frankly, will kill us earlier with the overdose of cortisol and other body-based chemicals designed only for truly life-threatening circumstances.
Postcards of fear do the same. (As does the social media doom scrolling and fixation on sensationalized news that doesn’t reflect the actual balance of good in the world.) What we consume matters, vitally.
I’m in the middle of a year where I’ve committed to complete uncertainty. No plan for what comes next. Just curiosity, exploration, and staying open. And honestly? It’s hard.
Yesterday I was on a podcast and the host asked me what my vision is, what I’m hoping comes from this. I said, “To be honest, I don’t know.”
That felt vulnerable to admit. And since then, I’ve noticed myself slipping into that fear-based thinking. What am I doing? Does this matter? Where is this going?
Your point about the internet and jobs is such a good example. We fixate on what we might lose and can’t see what might emerge. Fear literally constrains our creativity. It keeps us from seeing new possibilities. And like you said, it’s killing us. The cortisol, the constant state of threat response when there’s no actual threat.
I think we’re all swimming in this. The postcards of fear from a hundred years ago have just become social media doom scrolling and sensationalized news that doesn’t reflect the actual balance of good in the world. We consume fear like it’s entertainment.
The best I can do is call myself out when I notice it. Say, “You know what? I’m fine. It’s going to be fine.” And try to be content with the present. Because you’re right. With uncertainty also comes potential for amazing things. I just have to keep reminding myself of that.
Interesting…
Fear of losing when we don’t know what good the future can bring? We cling to today as if change isn’t constant.
Example: With the internet, people feared that lots of jobs would be lost. Yet no one could predict all the new jobs that would be created.
Fear constrains our creativity and ability to see new possibilities. And frankly, will kill us earlier with the overdose of cortisol and other body-based chemicals designed only for truly life-threatening circumstances.
Postcards of fear do the same. (As does the social media doom scrolling and fixation on sensationalized news that doesn’t reflect the actual balance of good in the world.) What we consume matters, vitally.
You’ve hit on something I’m living right now.
I’m in the middle of a year where I’ve committed to complete uncertainty. No plan for what comes next. Just curiosity, exploration, and staying open. And honestly? It’s hard.
Yesterday I was on a podcast and the host asked me what my vision is, what I’m hoping comes from this. I said, “To be honest, I don’t know.”
That felt vulnerable to admit. And since then, I’ve noticed myself slipping into that fear-based thinking. What am I doing? Does this matter? Where is this going?
Your point about the internet and jobs is such a good example. We fixate on what we might lose and can’t see what might emerge. Fear literally constrains our creativity. It keeps us from seeing new possibilities. And like you said, it’s killing us. The cortisol, the constant state of threat response when there’s no actual threat.
I think we’re all swimming in this. The postcards of fear from a hundred years ago have just become social media doom scrolling and sensationalized news that doesn’t reflect the actual balance of good in the world. We consume fear like it’s entertainment.
The best I can do is call myself out when I notice it. Say, “You know what? I’m fine. It’s going to be fine.” And try to be content with the present. Because you’re right. With uncertainty also comes potential for amazing things. I just have to keep reminding myself of that.