Page 33 - Nailah G Beraki-Pierre_Fear Is a Good Thing_v1_Neat

DAY 7

Becoming an Adult

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark;
the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

— Plato

Fear is part of our human experience from the time we are born. Babies
startle when they hear loud noises; they can be afraid of a stranger’s face.
Toddlers might be fearful of going to sleep at night. Little ones often
are scared to let go of their parent’s hand and enter a classroom for the
first time.
Of course, we want our children to be afraid of certain things, such

as touching a hot stove, or running into the street without looking both
ways. We want them to have a healthy fear of strangers.
From the beginning we learn the difference between unhealthy fears,
such as monsters lurking under our beds, and good fears that protect us
from harm and allow us to live in safety. When we become adults, we
shed the unfounded fears of our childhood. And we hopefully learn to
listen to the good fear that protects and guides us.

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