I had a number of people notice that I took a six month hiatus from posting here. As it turns out, life moves on with our without a new post at www.jeffhester.net. And at times, life requires all your focus and attention.
As it turns out, life is a journey, and the secret is to keep going… onward.
Bear with me as I veer from our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this interesting science tidbit I first read about over at Slashdot. I was compelled to click through to the article which promised that MIT finds cure for fear. It begins “MIT biochemists have apparently discovered a molecular mechanisim behind fear and successfully cured it in mice, according to an article in the journal Nature Neuroscience.”
The article suggests that the drug could be used to treat persistent, debilitating fears–including post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to some studies, as many as 1 in 8 soldiers returning from Iraq have reported PTSD symptoms, and the National Center for PTSD reports that about eight percent of the population will have PTSD symptoms at some point in their lives.
Certainly for people paralyzed by fear such a drug could transform their lives. And what about the average Joe or Joesephine, with their average fears? Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of change. Could this drug turn us all into fearless, bold, empowered beings?
On the surface, this sounds very promising. But there’s something about the casual use, misuse and potential abuse troubles me. At the root of my problem is this simple question: Is fear a bad thing?
A toddler learns to fear the flame from the gas range in the kitchen. It’s hot, and it can hurt if you touch it–so be careful (a parent’s euphemism for “fear this”). Fears are learned; some purposefully, others through accident or incident. Most fears are rooted in a self-preservation instinct, but as we grow, some no longer serve us. Yes, if I put my hand in the fire, it will burn me. No, public speaking will not turn me into a laughing stock or pariah (there are exceptions to every rule).
As adults, fear becomes our servant. Like the speedometer in my Mustang GT, I can monitor my “fear level” and decide to back off the accelerator (or not). Fear is a tool used to help us navigate life.
Imagine if I didn’t have a speedometer, or in fact, any perception of how fast I was actually travelling in my GT. Best case, I’d rack up a few more speeding tickets than I already have. Worst case? I’d be dead in a hellacious accident. Hmm… not an option I like.
My speedometer is a tool that helps me determine how fast to drive (usually a few miles just over the speed limit). My fears help protect me from risks that may or not be worth taking. Fear isn’t something that controls me — it’s just a guide.
I recognize that some people are gripped by fear. It controls them, rather than the other way around. I suspect that these are the people that the MIT scientists had in mind as they were testing this drug, and hope it can help them overcome what may be biophysiological causes of fear in those people. But I fear the potential abuse. Imagine the miltary removing all fear of combat from soldiers.
I laughed at one of the more poignant comments at Slashdot, in which the respondant writes “maybe this drug will help me overcome my fear of driving headlong into oncoming traffic.” Right.
Act rationally, think critically, argue persuasively.
I
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats’ feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar
Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;
Those who have crossed
With direct eyes, to death’s other Kingdom
Remember us — if at all — not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men.
Continue reading The Hollow Men – T.S. Eliot
I’ve never been asked to spread a meme until Etanisla prodded me with these seven questions. What is a meme? In the context of the blogsphere, a meme usually refers to a preset question or set of questions that a number of blog authors answer. In the more scientific sense, a meme raises larger questions of self-determination vs. a sort of mathematical predestination that I am apparently predetermined to resist.
But I digress. Here are the seven questions…
Continue reading Waving the Stick
There’s an old saying that you should never discuss sex, politics or religion in polite company. Thankfully, I never promised to be polite… at least not here. Let’s see if we can knock the cobwebs out of a few craniums, shall we?
Politics
I am a registered and unrepentant Republican. Does that make you squirm? I know it does many of my friends. Sir Winston Churchill once said “Anyone who is not a liberal in his youth has no heart. Anyone who remains so as he matures has no brain!”
The policies of Democratic party have never resonated with me. On the other hand, many of the social policies of the Republican party make my hair bristle. I’m more of a fiscal conservative and a social moderate, with Libertarian leanings. I believe that thinking people do not vote along party lines, and so I remain a Republican with a clear conscience.
But sometimes the liberal voices drive me crazy. Michael Moore is one such voice. Regardless of what you think of his political views, its easy to agree that he is a pompous asshole. He lives for the media frenzy, and does his best to stir it up, even if it means contorting facts to fit his point of view. In spite of my distaste for his style of communication, I believe we need people like Mr. Moore.
Michael Moore’s new film Fahrenheit 9/11 is a bona-fide box office bonanza. The documentary grossed more in the opening weekend than his previous film Bowling for Columbine made in it’s entire run. I’ve yet to see the film (I plan to as time allows), but it’s well known that Moore blasts Bush for everything from the election, family ties to the Bin Laden clan, and of course, the war in Iraq.
Before Moore, I looked at documentaries as scholarly works based on fact. He clearly demolished that objectivity with “Bowling,” taking liberties with facts and showing clips out of context merely to build a case for his political views. He raises good points worthy of thoughtful discussion, but if you accept his views without question, you’ll be duped.
So what have we learned, kids? Question authority, certainly. But also question those that pit themselves against authority. Be a skeptic.
Sex
I was watching William Gibson’s agonizing long No Maps for these Territories last night, and he reiterated a statement you’ve probably heard before: pornography has repeatedly been a catalyst for technological advancement. Why? Because sex sells. It led to VCRs, digital cameras, DVDs, advancements in web security, streaming media and many other technologies now commonly applied to more mainstream pursuits. Some folks even use sex to sell the Good Word (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
A commonly held misconception is that men think about sex once every seven seconds. In reality, who knows? If I thought about it every seven seconds, I’d never be able to complete this blog entry (let alone get any real work done).
We are wired for sex. Designed to procreate; to “…be fruitful and multiply…” So why is sex a taboo subject? I’m not entirely sure. Who cares? I’m in favor of sex. More sex for everyone and there’d be a helluva lot less wars.
Religion
Many people kill and maim in the name of God. Others deny the possibility of of a creator for that very reason.
I believe in God. I’ll be the first to admit that I can’t fully grasp God, nor do I fully comprehend they why’s and how’s of the world. Can the finite comprehend the infinite?
Cyberspace creates the technological possibility of alternate dimensions — virtual reality. Scientists believe that there are as many as ten dimensions of space and time that we do not participate in. These constructs may or not help explain how God moves or acts in time. But they do allow my mortal mind to concede that there’s much more to this universe than meets the eye.
If you choose to put your faith in something else — technology, humanism, or yourself — that’s your business. I’ll be happy to discuss religion and faith with you, but only if you promise not to shoot me where we disagree.
Politics, sex and religion. Why was it we can’t discuss them?
