Category: Emotions

What Role Does Fear Play In Your Life?

Fear is a powerful emotion that we all feel at many points in our lives. How do you react when faced with something you fear?

Fear can take many different shapes. You might be afraid for yourself, or fear for the safety of others. There is the gut-wrenching terror accompanying sudden physical danger, or the overwhelming sense of dread over some future danger.

Whatever the nature of the fear, harnessing it can be an effective tool for controlling people. Scared people will do almost anything to feel less afraid, including abandoning strongly held principles and beliefs, or selling out a neighbor or colleague.

Part of the reason for that is that people do not make the best decisions when they are afraid. When someone is in fight or flight mode, carefully evaluating all possibilities becomes less important. As a result, if you let fear dominate your other emotions, bad choices may result. You might easily miss an option that would be more effective or desired.

But fear does not always have to be a bad thing. There is a valid reason for it — it helps you learn what to avoid or minimize. You can also choose to be motivated to prepare contingency plans because you are afraid of doing the wrong thing. In turn, that preparation can help to lessen the fear.

What are you afraid of, and how does that fear shape your life? Can you think of times when being afraid has made a bad situation worse? Or alternately, have you ever channeled your fear in a positive way?

Related questions: Why are people afraid of death? Have you ever been afraid for your life? How does technology influence your emotions? Why does social media often bring out the worst in us?

What Role Do Algorithms Play In Your Life?

As computers, and the software they run, grow ever more sophisticated and commonplace, more and more of our lives are impacted by them. What are some examples of the way algorithms influence you?

In the online world, it is fairly easy to see the effect that algorithms have. All the major websites have sophisticated computer programs to determine which videos, status updates, ads, or products to display to you based on your browsing history.

This can have an upside. For example, based on music that you have listened to and liked, a music streaming service might recommend a similar artist. If you are unfamiliar with them, you might discover some cool new music!

Unfortunately, there are also downsides. Viewing ever more extreme videos — as recommended by an algorithm — individuals are more likely to become radicalized and potentially dangerous.

Many social media companies program their software to maximize engagement. A computer program will learn quickly that the best way to achieve this goal is through promoting fear and anger. As a result, users are increasingly suspicious and isolationist, even if that was not the initial intent.

However, as artificial intelligence grows in ability and usefulness, it is being deployed and used more regularly in non-online settings as well. For instance, a bank might use a computer to determine if a customer is likely to default on a loan. Sports teams can use facial recognition software to deny entry to unruly fans. Rather than have faculty or staff sift through college applications, a computer can do it more thoroughly and without requiring breaks.

Can you think of ways that an algorithm is making decisions about your life, either online or off? Ultimately, do you think it is a good thing or bad?

Related questions: How accurate is your algorithm? What do you think about artificial intelligence? Will technology save us?

What Do You Do To Shake Off A Bad Mood?

Everyone gets in a bad mood every so often. When that happens, how do you get yourself out if it?

Share why if you wish.

What Does Your Pet Think Of You?

We know so little about our own consciousness, let alone that of animals. Which leads to the question: what does your pet think of you?

Animals in general, and pets in particular, clearly have some level of thought. They can learn some basic tricks, and many of them respond to their name. They exhibit feelings, at times being happy, or sad, or angry.

Some pets have even learned a rudimentary way of talking. By programming a number of buttons that say a particular word when pressed, the owner of a dog or a cat can teach the pet to press a button to “say” words like “food”, “walk”, “play”, and many others.

Of course, this may be a combination of rewards training, randomness, and anthropomorphizing. It is difficult to say for certain, since we don’t really know what pets think or feel.

Still, humans that have pets can discern patterns in behavior. A cat owner may notice the cat being able to tell when dinner time is approaching. Or a dog might associate the picking up of a leash with going out for a walk.

It is fun to speculate how exactly our pets see us. Do they see us as just an odd-looking member of their species? Is the owner seen as a parent, or are they seen as a juvenile who needs protection and feeding? (People who keep cats, for example, may be familiar with being “gifted” with a dead mouse or bird.) Or perhaps they understand the concept of different species?

If you have a pet, or know someone who does, have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of that pet? What do they think of us?

Related questions: What is your relationship with your pet? How does your pet bring you joy? Is your pet part of your family? Cats or dogs?

How’s It Going?

In order to improve your life, sometimes you first need to evaluate your life. With that in mind, how’s it going?

In life, it is easy to get caught up worrying about the future. In particular, at this moment in time, the future is very uncertain.

For instance, there is an important election coming up. What will happen if my side wins, and what if they lose? There are also other existential threats, from A.I. to climate change to global conflicts.

There are also more personal level concerns. Maybe you are worried about the future of your job, or your kids, or your health, or something else entirely.

You might also be obsessive about the past, even if you can’t do anything about it. A contentious conversation may play over and over in your head. Or you may have regret over a mistake you made, or a snarky comment you said in passing.

To prevent these unhelpful thoughts, it might help to take stock of your current situation. In this moment, right now, how do you feel? Why do you feel that way? Does it make sense? Is it helpful, and is it productive?

Knowing your present state might help you to calm down. However, being aware of your inner state, your thoughts and feelings, is absolutely crucial to your future self. In order to become the person you want to be, you need to know who you are first.

This is a skill that not many people develop. The ability to think about yourself, to evaluate why you say what you say and act the way you do is difficult. It is also valuable, both to yourself as well as to the people around you.

In addition to this introspection, we also are checking in on our readers. With that in mind: How’s it going?

Related questions: How are we doing? What are you thinking about? How do you feel? How can we appreciate life more?