Is fear always "bad"?

I definitely understand that fear is the mind killer (sorry to cross my genres ). And I also feel like sometimes fear is healthy. If I see a tiger across an open plain, I'm glad for the burst of fear that allows me to run to safety more quickly. If I stumbled upon a rattler, I'm glad for the fear that momentarily freezes me even before I'm fully conscious of the need for stillness. If I'm around a potentially abusive person, I'm glad for the tingle of fear in my belly that reminds me to be cautious and vigilant.

What do you think? Is fear always something to avoid or are there times to welcome it, provided it doesn't become the master?

Fear is like all feelings. It has its place, and authentic fear has perhaps the most importance of all feelings in keeping us able to feel other things (encouraging us to run from tigers for example).

But like all feelings, inauthentic, unwarranted or disproportionate fear can be one of the most destructive feelings, in direct relation to its power. Feeling the life-or-death kick of fear in minor situations can seriously impact our ability to live well.

Everything in proportion, fear included.

Good observation River, thank you.

My opinion is that the Jedi teaching that we should avoid fear because it leads to anger which leads to hate which leads to suffering and this should be avoided at all cost is a false one. I have never bought into such a stark and one dimensional view of fear because it seems clear to me that all aspects of our psyche are needed to make us whole. No emotion we have can be classified simply as either dark or light, good or bad. In fact emotion does not have a standing in this regard. Instead, like energy itself, it’s how we manifest that emotion that makes it destructive or productive.

When we experience the emotion of fear from a balanced stand point between obsession and indifference its negative connotation goes away and this brings about an awareness of our suffering, a place where we can make accurate decisions as to how to handle a situation. This elicits a clarity that suffering is a necessary part of growth. And finally this encourages enlightenment, a place where we have healthily processed our emotion in a balanced way that is neither obsessive nor indifferent (which is separate from extreme or lacking).

This concept tells us we must not only embrace feel-good emotions like love but also embrace our fear or our anger etc as well. In fact it is these so called "dark emotions" that cause the greatest growth in us as individuals through suffering. This in turn produces the greatest amount of love and desire to be of service to others.

I was given this message on a journey by several shaman

"Fear in itself is a healthy thing. It is what keeps the lion safe while hunting. But if the lion fears injury so much that she will not even go out to the hunt, she will die anyways. Fear is to be befriended and understood. Respected. He has the capabilities to keep you safe. But fear Is fickle, and he likes to play tricks. And if he finds he can get away with it, he'll control you. Befriend him, know him, understand him, love him, and he will help you."

Imo, fear is a teacher. It helps you realise things (quite pointedly, what you're afraid of) so you can tackle it, overcome it, and become it's master.

As far as your reference, River, the entire quote is:

"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."

I interpret that by saying that fear isn't entirely bad, but we must be able to control it rather than it controlling us. Fear is useful at times, it helps us survive. There is a line where fear can become harmful. It's about balance, as in all things It's about controlling our emotions, instead of letting them control us.

No emotion is bad in and of itself. Some carry more risk then others but that does not make them bad. Its how we respond to fear that can be good or bad,

It depends on what type of "fear" you are describing.

A "fight or flight" response is hardwired into us as instinct. It is meant to help us survive the tigers and rattlesnakes, and is therefore useful. It has also been shown in studies that babies are born with only two innate fears, that of falling and loud noises. The rest are learned from experience, parents and the environment. Either way, there are certain threats to our physical survival that will always cause a strong instinctual reaction in us for good reason.

Fear of failure, rejection, embarrassment, etc is fear that can control us and inhibits us from reaching our full potential as human beings. These fears are the result of social conditioning, not environmental conditions. It is important to recognize these fears and learn to work past them in healthy ways. It is also important to recognize the sources of these fears so that they can be removed or avoided. This is not to say that these fears are bad or unwarranted, but that they are not motivated by matters of life and death. These fears can be acknowledged and then allowed to pass.

Fear can become your best friend. It can motivate you to start pecking away at amazing challenges. It can prompt study, to better understand your adversary, replacing the fear with preparation and confidence and making similar future challenges much easier to face. It can increase creativity and help you see new roads that you hadn't before because you were not yet desperate enough to open your eyes. Without confirmed research to back me up, I would still say that fear is a large part of what triggers growth, almost every time. Conquer yourself, conquer fear, and you will be worthy of what you desire.

I have a situation on my horizon at the moment that causes me borderline panic when I think about it. I have no clue how to handle it when it finally comes down the hill and is breathing its venom into my nostrils. But I will rise to meet it with all the violence that exists within me when it does; it will regret ever knowing my name.

Someone ever tries to kill you, you try to kill 'em right back. Dohn-ma, mei-mei?

Aww, you can call me mei-mei all you want, Simon