Humanities fear

What do you consider to be a common fear? What is the first fear that comes to mind when you hear the word? Some might say death, while others may fear dying alone. The list of fears is nearly infinite. However, what is humanity's greatest fear? In my personal experience, it is the unknown. There would be no fear of death if we understood what lies beyond it. There would be no fear of the dark if we knew what was ahead. Similarly, there would be no fear of spiders if we took the time to understand them.

We see this phenomenon in our various professions and throughout our lives. A beekeeper would not fear bees, a snake owner would not fear their snake, and a dog owner would not fear their dog. The simple fact is that humans tend to shun what they do not understand. Consider the historical persecution of those labeled as witches. Depending on one's religious beliefs, opinions on this matter may vary; however, one undeniable truth remains: many of those proclaimed as "witches" were simply regular people.

Think about a scientist; if you were to send one into the past, they might be burned at the stake simply because the populace wouldn't understand their methods. People are not created equal; some are smarter, some are stronger, and others may possess less empathy or differing levels of physical ability. If you believe they are, you either are delusional or are a sheltered existence. Every hundred years or so, a genius arises and pushes their generation forward. But with a population of billions, can we truly believe that such exceptional individuals are born only occasionally? If the human population were smaller, this might be more understandable.

So where do these geniuses end up? Why do we often hear about the "lucky" ones dying young? It boils down to the fear of the unknown. When someone possesses greater intelligence or unique talents, these abilities can lead to isolation. Before they even showcase their gifts, they may find themselves separated from their peers. When a person is more advanced than others, they can grow either faster or slower than their age group, resulting in feelings of isolation. This experience can lead to trauma, depression, and other mental health issues, ultimately causing these gifted individuals to struggle due to the very talents that make them unique.

Some choose to hide their intelligence, revealing only small amounts to fit in or gain a slight advantage in society. Yet their past experiences of isolation deeply affect them. You may have seen shows or movies that glorify geniuses, depicting a loving and supportive environment. However, this is often far from the reality. Parental love is finite and can only stretch so far. Some parents provide a strong foundation filled with warmth and love, while others struggle to care for themselves, drowning their sorrows in alcohol. They know this will not free them from their pain but continue to burden their children with their struggles.

When parents pressure their talented children, they often rejoice at their gifts. However, no one is perfect; even a genius can make mistakes. If they do falter, parents may respond with some form of abuse, placing their hopes, dreams, and aspirations onto their children. This constant burden creates stress, and just like anyone else, these gifted children need outlets for their release.

Humans can be as warm as they are selfish. Some parents view their children as tools or robots, micromanaging every aspect of their lives in pursuit of lofty dreams. They often fail to recognize the anger, resentment, and sorrow that their children experience. Eventually, these burdens may become too overwhelming to bear. And these geniuses that appear so "rarely" resort to a final measure of release. And humanity loses a prodigy that could've advanced us further in whatever field they would have joined. It's a sad truth, that humanity holds itself back. We fear the unknown so much that we isolate those of us who can truly make a difference. However, that is life, no matter how advanced humanity may get. No matter how much growth we may achieve, humans will always fear the unknown. We will always make mistakes, we will always resort to escapes when faced with them. Even with knowledge of the consequences, we will continue to use quick releases. Releases that solve nothing, only grow the already festering problems inside us. We will continue to isolate those of us who don't fit into the elaborate puzzle we call society.