We have even made fearing being afraid an issue of human character. Since shamans first crawled out of the mud they have recognized fear as the single greatest obstacle to their practices. The fears we learn as children stay with us and operate all our lives. We inherit a worldview filled with fears and anxiety. We learn to behave in certain ways because we are afraid not to, and we learn not to behave in certain ways because we are afraid of the consequences.
Most human beings exist in a balance between fear and fear.
The shaman's task is to unravel those fears, or any human being that wants a clearer understanding of his or herself and a richer view of the world in which they live can do the same. Fear is the general and you are the foot soldier being marched around in a little circle. When fear is in control your life is lived in reaction to events, there is no real proactive control of your own destiny. We cannot over estimate the part fear plays in all our decisions. When you begin looking back at the decisions you have made in your life, if you are honest with yourself, you will find fear as one of the great motivating forces in your choices and actions.