Void-Fear, the Fear From Nothing

(Philosocom Directory on Fear)

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Facing the Void: Fear of Nothingness

Although many might disagree with me, I believe that one of the biggest fears we humans have is the fear of nothing. By "nothing," I refer to the concept of the absence of something in our lives. Per my findings there are 3 main expressions of that "absence" or of void. While we may not all share the same fear in all of its forms, it is likely that most of us experience this fear at least in one form, minor or major.

And fearlessness is something that needs to be worked on.

The biggest "void-fear" for some people is expressed through loneliness or the lack of intimacy. These are both expressions of the absence of someone, either general or specific, that we wish we had in our lives. This fear is so big that some people believe that humans cannot exist without (romantic) love.

This is supported by the known quote from the Old Testament, "It is not good that the man should be alone". This quote indicates the importance of an external company to fill in the gaps that theoretically cannot be fulfilled by just one person.

However, this isn't completely true when one is able to master the art of being alone. Such fear can be surpassed by filling the gaps yourself, or at least the ones you can on your own.

For example, while a tree may be too tall for you to climb and reach a fruit (thus needing external help for this effort), a holiday can be well-spent enjoying your own company. While procreation cannot be done asexually in humans, one can learn how to enjoy his or her own singlehood and find alternatives to biological reproductions in order to have children (such as assisted reproduction).

Nonetheless, the fear of solitude (along with the fear of aging alone) remains as one of the biggest "Void-Fears" in all of humanity's history, given the necessity, and often benefits, of collective life, and dependency on social interactions.

Many other fears can be categorized as the fear of nothing. For example, the fear of heights is basically the fear of not having a close ground next to your feet; the fear of small spaces is the fear of not having a large-enough space to exist within (and vice versa).

The fears from nothing indicate our frequent incapacity, or unwillingness, to live without something or someone to be at our hands, at our company, or around us. It shows us that being the ruling species of Earth is not a sufficient title to bring us the strength our ancestors had. Will you be willing to march into battle should your superior authorities call you to do so?

Those afraid of developing PTSD may avoid protecting their countries (or deploying overseas in its name). That is even though having a standing and competent military is crucial for the survival of a nation (and thus militarism holds logical ground)

But those with no awareness of PTSD might, or those heavily influenced by the functionality of certain ideologies.

Are you afraid of being alone? Not a full-time hermit might. When survival is guaranteed, fear seems to be a luxury we can afford even if we don't want to afford it.

The Hidden Cost of Our Distracted Lives

When survival is at stake, fear is to be surpassed, for it is only an obstacle that could lead to our death. Unless we are suffering, death is far from a desired option. The exception is when our fears are not entirely irrational if they are even irrational at all. Perhaps this can also explain the decline of traditional masculinity in favor of what is called a "healthy masculinity", one that is more inclined with our emotions and less surpasses them among men.

Regardless, what can be assured is that we fear nothingness, and we may fear it even if we have all we want and/or all we need. Most if not all of these fears have to do with the fear of our minds being with themselves, without an external body, object or person, to be with it and to distract them (the minds) from having to cope with themselves. Among energy vampires this is most common.

Many minds seem to be afraid of themselves, especially after spending much of their lives being externally occupied with whatever they desire, need or are asked to be occupied in. Doing nothing is a choice of its own, and not an easy one. This leaves little to no experience with the "terror" that is the large absence of an external source of stimulation. It is the same reason why we are addicted to various addictions, from smoking to our various electronic screens. It is but the fear from nothing.

Channeling Your Fears into Productivity

I too have a void-fear I'd like to confess: I fear insufficiency, which is, obviously, the fear of the lack of sufficiency. I therefore became a workaholic. This is why with every task I am either given or give to myself, such as writing an article or even making coffee, I see it through that the task will not go unfinished as much as I can. I also imposed on myself to be addicted to coffee so I would accomplish more in life, but I digress.

In order to be a better writer and philosopher, I have utilized this fear for my own use, writing and publishing hundreds of articles. I wager that without this fear I would've produced less content for the world, and focused more on other things.

You can follow my example and use your fears for your own benefit, whether it is a fear of nothingness or any other fear. Even rejections can be used to build the mind, so you might not want to be too afraid of rejections. Are you afraid of failing an upcoming test? See to it that you pass as successfully as you can. Are you afraid of too much dirt in your house or apartment? Make sure it is clean enough so it won't bother you for long periods of time.

Treat your emotions as your pawns and you can become more powerful as an individual, and perhaps within a collective as well.

Fear and Loss Can Become Our Greatest Teachers

Fear, even if unwanted, is a potential that we can use to improve ourselves and our ability to help others. All we have to do is accept the inevitability of uncomfortable emotions (and discomfort in general). When such emotions arrive, we should try to ignore their disturbance and use their power to advance ourselves and our endeavors.

However, in the end, if we want to be braver individuals, we must accept the possibility of losing the dear things and beings in our lives, which will leave us in the space that they used to occupy in our lives. We need to learn to see things and beings not as an extension of ourselves, but as temporary visitors in our world, just as we may be in theirs.

In the end, we are all alone either way, to whatever extent.