Fear vs. Caution?

[DefinitelyNotARobot]

What is the difference between fear and caution? Just because something CAN happen does not mean that it has to happen. One could say: "Ha! Look at this fool wearing a seatbelt! Are you afraid of death or something?", but just because you COULD be driving without your seatbelt, doesn't mean that you'll HAVE to do it.

So I can see how there is some kind of difference between being absolutely scared of crashing without a seatbelt vs. just not wanting it to happen. However, what exactly is that difference? Aren't both selfish? I mean not wanting it to happen is still a bias, isn't it? Someone else might want you to crash without your seatbelt on (For whatever fucked up reason they would want that haha). So aren't both things rooted in the same thing? Are they just different degrees of the same fundamental force?

I can't tell the line between the two, but that just might be me.

I'd appreciate any insights on this! ✌️

Edited May 23, 2021 by DefinitelyNotARobot

[Leo Gura]

The difference is, fear is a charged emotion.

Caution is not emotional. It's more of a cool, rational understanding and premeditated avoidance.

If you are standing at the edge of a cliff, you could feel fear or you could not. But just because you feel no fear does not mean you must jump off. You could simply decide not to jump and you could take a step back to be sure a gust of wind doesn't blow you over. That's caution.

[Inliytened1]

4 hours ago, DefinitelyNotARobot said:

What is the difference between fear and caution? Just because something CAN happen does not mean that it has to happen. One could say: "Ha! Look at this fool wearing a seatbelt! Are you afraid of death or something?", but just because you COULD be driving without your seatbelt, doesn't mean that you'll HAVE to do it.

So I can see how there is some kind of difference between being absolutely scared of crashing without a seatbelt vs. just not wanting it to happen. However, what exactly is that difference? Aren't both selfish? I mean not wanting it to happen is still a bias, isn't it? Someone else might want you to crash without your seatbelt on (For whatever fucked up reason they would want that haha). So aren't both things rooted in the same thing? Are they just different degrees of the same fundamental force?

I can't tell the line between the two, but that just might be me.

I'd appreciate any insights on this! ✌️

Caution requires understanding.  It is rational and calculated.  Fear is something innate which takes full responsibility for your survival.  They both of course are selfish.  Afterall, you are a self.

[DefinitelyNotARobot]

@Inliytened1 @Leo Gura It might be a projection of my own mind, but I just can't see how you could be cautious without fear. What's rational about favoring one outcome over another? What creates aversion towards certain outcomes if not fear?

I mean if you were cautious you probably wouldn't want to take all of your life savings to the casino. Sounds rational to me, but aren't you just scared of the consequences of loosing all of your money? To me it sounds like an attempt at rationalizing fear, but then again it just might be my own projection. 

I'm asking this because I'm trying to work through my fears, but don't want to turn into a reckless fool either. I'm just too unconscious to tell where my fear begins and where it ends. I don't even know if not wanting to become a reckless fool itself is rooted in fear or not.

Edited May 24, 2021 by DefinitelyNotARobot

[lmfao]

@DefinitelyNotARobot in practice I think it's good to do things that I perceive as not cautious

[DefinitelyNotARobot]

@lmfao Mind sharing a few of those things?