Fear and The Cruising Sailor

[why me?]

"This lifestyle isn't something most just fall into. It takes planning, dedication, and the courage to take the road less traveled."

I think it takes more than that. I remember watching a TV show about the pilots on the Shannon river in Ireland. The narrator asked the pilot how long it took to learn the tricky navigation required for the job and the pilot answered, "It's not a matter of time matey, it's either inya or it's not". I remembered it clearly as I agreed wholeheartedly. Planning and dedication and all that are good and any good sailor will but some people just shouldn't go out there. It's just not in em.

"cant see a way of life more satisfying." Couldn't agree more.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by John A

Now that you've all scared the hell out of me.
What's the solution?

Well... I do long solo passages... Biscay in December in a Hurley 22, Atalantic 47 days non-stop in a Beneteau 321....
People often ask me "Don't you get scared out there all alone..."
My reply is no I don't get scared out there... how can I 'Get Scared' when I've been scared all my life... its just that I learnt how to channel my fears into a positive thing and make it work for me...

The pleasure I gain is well worth the fear....

[Intentional Drifter]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."

Classic!

TaoJones

Should I be afraid that somehow, when I read that, it actually makes some sense to me?

Oh, gosh, now I've gone and scared myself!

ID

[Intentional Drifter]

On another note, as a sci-fi fan, I long ago discovered Frank Herbert's Dune series. On of the things included in it is the Litany Against Fear. It had a compelling impact on me and I've often used it myself, in a number of situations, over my life.

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

ID

[sam_uk]

This film explores the origins in the 1940s and 50s of Islamic Fundamentalism in the Middle East, and Neoconservatism in America, parallels between these movements, and their effect on the world today.

"Both [the Islamists and Neoconservatives] were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world. And both had a very similar explanation for what caused that failure. These two groups have changed the world, but not in the way that either intended. Together, they created todays nightmare vision of a secret, organized evil that threatens the world. A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. And those with the darkest fears became the most powerful. " The Power of Nightmares, Baby It's Cold Outside.

Internet Archive: Free Download: The Power of Nightmares

[maxingout]

Originally Posted by John A

Now that you've all scared the hell out of me.
What's the solution?

It's not the things that I fear that cause the problems in my life. It's the fear itself that causes the biggest problem.

It's the fear that immobilizes and blows things out of proportion. Fear is a lot like guilt in that respect. Both of them can be useless emotions that are self-destructive, and in unscrupulous hands, they are powerful tools to control and manipulate other people.

We live in media rich societies skilled at creating sound and video bites that speak the language of the mind, and the message too often is FEAR. They create thousands of fearful melodramas that they want to run in our mind. Once those melodramas get into our mind, we go into rewind and play them again and again. The apostles of fear aren’t really talking to you or to me. They are talk to your mind. If they can get the message of fear into your mind, your brain will replay their dastardly fearful message again and again – whenever you go into rewind. You will be attacked by pirates in your mind thousands of times while you are sitting safely in your homeport. You will go through hundreds of cyclones in your mind before you drop your dock lines. Fear is powerful stuff because your mind likes to go into rewind and scares you again and again.

One of my friends subscribes to the belief, that on long sailing passages, he does just as well setting sail at random times (in season) rather than meticulously planning his departure so that the weather is all lined up the way everyone wants it to be. On long passages, he may be right. You can't control weather, nor can you predict it for more than a couple of days. He sets sail and takes whatever comes his way, and he has sailed nearly twice around the world dealing with weather fear in that manner.

As far as I am concerned, fear is a nearly useless and generally destructive emotion. It keeps me from doing things that I want to do, and when I finally do them, I find out that things are much different than I had feared. All of the fearful melodrama was nonsense.

Fear turns out to be the real problem. Everything else, I can deal with.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by John A

Now that you've all scared the hell out of me.
What's the solution?

Dave, thanks for motivating a great discussion for cruisers

I think the combination of self-belief.. tempered with Fatalism is the way I manage my Fear.

Working at being your best gives you the power to use that knowledge and preparation to meet any stressful situation with the tools needed to survive.

When the FEAR noradrenalin starts to kick in I adopt an almost out of body perspective to keep it in check and inner belief that I will survive unless the “Gods” choose otherwise.

Also, as a philosophy student I was never ever able to satisfactorily prove my own existence, so that often helps to keep things in perspective.

I believe that a healthy dose of “Fatalism” is the best way to keep fear from ruling our lives.

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Also, as a philosophy student I was never ever able to satisfactorily prove my own existence, so that often helps to keep things in perspective.

C'mon Pelagic! You post, therefore you are.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Also, as a philosophy student I was never ever able to satisfactorily prove my own existence, so that often helps to keep things in perspective.

René Descartes said:

I think, therefore I am . . . I think.

(Okay . . . I may have added the last two words. )

[maxingout]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Dave, thanks for motivating a great discussion for cruisers

I think the combination of self-belief.. tempered with Fatalism is the way I manage my Fear.

Working at being your best gives you the power to use that knowledge and preparation to meet any stressful situation with the tools needed to survive.

When the FEAR noradrenalin starts to kick in I adopt an almost out of body perspective to keep it in check and inner belief that I will survive unless the “Gods” choose otherwise.

Also, as a philosophy student I was never ever able to satisfactorily prove my own existence, so that often helps to keep things in perspective.

I believe that a healthy dose of “Fatalism” is the best way to keep fear from ruling our lives.

I once was in a car accident, and I nearly died. I was in the ICU for nine days, had seven units of blood, three surgeries, and two months in the hospital. I discovered first hand that death is not the enemy. Suffering is the enemy as far as I am concerned.

I don't fear dying. I reckon that my biggest fear is endless and unremitting suffering. If I lose all the stuff in my life, I won't be out that much. Dying is like going to sleep. Suffering is a real problem. I fear suffering.

Sailing is about as far from suffering as you can get. That's another good reason to go sailing.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

C'mon Pelagic! You post, therefore you are.

René Descartes said: Quote:
I think, therefore I am . . . I think.

Bertand Russell asked:

How do you know it is you who is doing the thinking? .....

or posting?...

[Pelagic]

Dave, I can attest to that… 12 days ago I collapsed with kidney failure as a result of a large stone blocking drainage.

I was delirious and in unimaginable pain for 2 days at a local clinic getting inadequate pain medication until I managed to organize my own evacuation to a proper Manila hospital where they by-passed the stone with a stint and started shock wave therapy.

Those first 2 days... only “out of body” exercises kept me from wishing death.

Now back on board as we are dry docking SG on Wednesday so that she doesn’t develop her own kidney stones.

All is well but I wont be horseback riding for a few months

[Spammy]

Interesting topic.
Fear is a tool of manipulation. It's used by governments, salesmen, the media. It's great for getting people to buy things they really don't need and for getting them to behave in ways which are favorable to those in power. It gets and holds attention. I chuckle at the "teasers" on television news just before commercials: something really scary so you'll stay tuned and watch those commercials so as not to miss the revelation after those "words from our sponsors". I've been losing interest in tv...

[maxingout]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Dave, I can attest to that… 12 days ago I collapsed with kidney failure as a result of a large stone blocking drainage.

I was delirious and in unimaginable pain for 2 days at a local clinic getting inadequate pain medication until I managed to organize my own evacuation to a proper Manila hospital where they by-passed the stone with a stint and started shock wave therapy.

Those first 2 days... only “out of body” exercises kept me from wishing death.

Now back on board as we are dry docking SG on Wednesday so that she doesn’t develop her own kidney stones.

All is well but I wont be horseback riding for a few months

Pain has a way of getting your attention. It's probably the only thing in life that is as bad as I have feared.

I hope you pass the stone and mend quickly.

[Spammy]

Dave,
I had a medical emergency a couple of months ago, and needed emergency surgery. The pain was much worse than I had imagined, but I still do not fear pain. It's just a signal, your body getting your attention about an injury or some other significant problem. I only took three of the prescribed pain pills. I did plan to go back to work after a day or so, but it took a week before I was able to. A learning experience...