“In my experience, fear comes from not knowing what to expect and not feeling you have any control over what’s about to happen. When you feel helpless, you’re far more afraid than you would be if you knew the facts.”
C. Hadfield
We are often faced with scenarios which we feel some sort of fear towards. It is a normal part of everyone’s life. It might be a presentation we are due to give, it might be with regards to taking a flight for the first time, an upcoming exam, or in Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s case, blasting off into space on a rocket.
He notes here and throughout his book that it was with great thanks to the length of time he spent studying and practising the procedures that allowed most of the fear regarding his mission to dissipate. This is pretty substantial when your mission includes being blasted into space and orbiting the Earth.
Isn’t this then true in general?
Ultimately, the greater your knowledge in worldly affairs, the less you will fear anything regarding them. There is no doubt that we won’t be able to get rid of the fear in totality, but by being clued up about whatever we are embarking upon, we are ensuring that we are doing our bit to be prepared, to be able to meet the challenge without leaving any avenue to be caught unaware.
So whether it is an exam or an upcoming space flight, the more you prepare for an emergency, the more you will meet it ready and confident, not timid and afraid.
Preparation is key.