“Don’t go there, the bogeyman is going to catch you”. The child learnt fear but missed the lesson on understanding danger. “There” has many meanings but to the child, the only meaning is “not here”. The child learns fear and not, in any way, the means to think. But what is there to think about when the bogeyman is fictitious and therein lies the matter that needs attention.
You raise your children fearing something fictitious. There is no real danger. Had there been a real danger, perhaps there will be a solution for it. And while this is self-inflicted mind control, meaning that we have done this to ourselves by repeating the mistake by reliving a fictitious bogeyman even in your children. The two things that needs attention is, because the bogeyman is fake news, that the child attributes the warning of the adult as serious. This adult represents the authority figure in his life and already the child is fooled and lives in fear of a danger that is not real. Danger is real, but the bogeyman scenario is undefined because it is merely a scare tactic. Where there is a real danger then back it up with the truth. Find better ways to teach about danger. Many grow up fearing any little thing from moths to the dark and even furry boots.
The real lesson that ought to be learnt is about danger and our approach to it. If your only response is fear, then you have already lost half your energy as fear saps the life out of you. Rather, you must understand what the danger is and what is effective in warding off that danger. A good way is to avoid danger, but not every danger is avoidable and may be necessary to remove the danger to clear a path to success and happiness. Therefore, skills must be acquired to tackle the danger with mentality the most important. Of course, over-thinking is a danger in itself and therefore the balance must be found, pragmatism.
The lessons you need to take from this is that, just as an authoritative figure did not quite give you the factual basis of the bogeyman, so too it is happening at all levels of authority. Authorities twisting facts to sow fear cannot be acceptable. It is for you to question and gain the true understanding. If you don’t, you will be perpetuating an unfounded fear. Once you have determined that there is no danger, then that settles that matter. Should the danger be real, then again seek the ideal response. If the front of your house is burning, then don’t go out the front way when the safest way is through the back. If you fear sickness, then learn to have a healthy lifestyle. That is natural immunity and that is being pragmatic and wise. Fear is artificial and artificial creates danger. This last point needs a whole lot to be spoken about but my space here is up (email enquiries on this point welcome).
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