How To Overcome The Fear Of The Unknown

The fear of unknown is such that is common to everyone. Every individual must have at one point of their life or the other experience the fear of unknown. It is totally natural to be afraid of something. Fears are like warning signals, cautioning us, telling us that there might be danger ahead. So it is no problem when we experience some level of fear.


It becomes difficult when the fear is the fear of unknown. Maybe a little bit difficult because to most people the source is unknown.

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Causes of the fear of unknown 

Dangers of the fear of unknown

Overcoming the fear of unknown  

Conclusion

Causes Of The Fear Of Unknown 

Although it is called the fear of unknown, but there are several known causes for the fear of the unknown. Few of the several examples are highlighted below.

Past experiences:

Memories of what has happened in the past is what is haunting some people up till now. Traumatic experiences and tragic moments they have witnessed has left such an indelible memory of fear in them. Such people often have to deal with the fear of unknown.

Prioritizing other people's opinion: 

Most people experience the fear of unknown simply by putting what others might say or think first. When people consider what others might feel or think about them, they tend to live towards pleasing others. And as a result, they may develop this fear that others are really not satisfied with what they are doing. Thereby causing a low self-esteem.

Childhood experience: 

It has been established that children needs understanding, acceptance and a need to be loved. But for most people this is not the case. Most people have dark childhood memories; experiences that are difficult to explain. It is not uncommon to see someone who has experienced abuse as a child not to have the fear of unknown.

Negative thinking patterns: 

Indulging in a negative thinking pattern affects the way someone behaves. To always think "I can't", "it's impossible", "I will fall", "I am not good", ... would in the long run make the person become a coward. Such a person will constantly be faced with the fear of unknown.

Bad habits:  

Also, people who are found with records of bad habits are prone to have the fear of unknown. People who are fond of using illegal items are always suspicious. They are scared that someone is coming after them. A thief for instance may be faced with a constant feeling of guilt as of someone or something is after them.
These and many more are the potential causes of the fear of the unknown.

Dangers Of The Fear Of Unknown

There are people who pretend it, there are people who hide it, and there are people who refuse to talk about it. But this does not mean that fear of the unknown does not exist. It does exist and it has its several dangers associated with it.

Someone once said, "what you are emotionally is what you are!" And this is true, if you nurture and harbour fear, you will become fearful. Those that have not yet overcome the fear of unknown are likely to have the following characteristics.
Emotionally they are unstable
Socially they feel threatened
Physically they are prone to Ill health

Fear of the unknown leads to: timidity, worry, indecision, loneliness, doubts, inferiority, sadness, low self esteem, etc. People who have the fear of the unknown are usually bad investors and poor business people. They are not willing to take risk and make investments. They are always scared that the tide will go against them. And as a result, most of them are poor people who battle with debt for a long time.

Most mental illness around the world today are as a result of fear. Some diseases that have been termed idiopathic may have their root from fear. Increased blood pressure, heart failure, depression, headache and most other incommunicable diseases. 

Overcoming The Fear Of Unknown  

Overcoming the fear of unknown is very possible. I won't list herculean tasks for you to perform to overcome this fear. But rather, simple and practical steps.

FACE THE FEAR 

The first step is to accept the fact that you have the fear of the unknown. Face it, that's the truth!
Ask yourself what is the cause of the fear. As the name - fear of unknown, you may be surprised to see that there is really no base for the fear in the first place.

ANALIZE THE FEAR

Understanding you fears will be the major step to your freedom. Get a book and a pen, write down every detail of what you fear.

Why am I afraid?  Some parents are afraid something bad might happen to their children in school. Some people are afraid they might fall sick. Some people are afraid they might lose their job, although they have all the necessary qualifications.

What is the cause? You can click here to see the cause again.
What could possible go wrong? If at all your worst nightmare is now a reality, what could be the worst case scenario? If you lose your job who will pay the bill? If you fall sick will you die? If your son should play football will his legs be amputated?

How do I avoid it? Think of a thousand ways to deal with what you fear the most. If you lose your job what can you do to maintain yourself? If you should probably fall sick what can you do to cure it? If you have plans for facing your fears if it should eventually materialized, you will realize that you really don't have fear anymore. Like a pole vault athlete who is never scared of falling. Always prepare a cushion prior to your fall and you will have nothing to fear.

ACCEPT THE FACT AND MAKE A CHANGE

Someone once said 92% of the things we fear do not come into reality. I may not be able to attest to the accuracy of this data but to some extent it is true. Ask yourself this question, how many times have I been scared of something but it never happened?

If you answered correctly am sure you now know fear is such a thief that steal your joy today and fill tomorrow with troubles. Fear cripples everything about someone. It should never be allowed to stay. Fear should be kicked out immediately.

Conclusion

On a ending note, I'll like to share my most effective method so far of tackling the fear of the unknown. It is found in Matthew 6:25-34 and Philippians4:6 
I'll love to hear from you, you can leave a comment. Also, help share this post. Who knows, you may be saving a life.