me (2:43:00 AM):i figured you felt emo
me (2:43:08 AM):thinking about death
person (2:44:00 AM):haha
person (2:44:00 AM):no
person (2:44:06 AM):I was just copying my friend’s thing
person (2:44:17 AM):it’s not emo to think about death
me (2:45:16 AM):it’s rather healthy, I agree–i just usually keep it to myself perhaps
me (2:45:32 AM):in fact i have been thinking about it a lot
person (2:47:41 AM):it really is
person (2:47:49 AM):you can’t appreciate life fully
person (2:47:55 AM):without contemplating death
person (2:48:03 AM):it doesn’t mean you should fear death
me (2:48:38 AM):even a little fear isn’t unhealthy
me (2:48:56 AM):fear is what makes you truly brave
me (2:49:27 AM):fear is what makes you truly able to appreciate
person (2:49:50 AM):I don’t regard that as fear
me (2:49:51 AM):http://youtube.com/watch?v=K9jOlGB5R5U
person (2:49:56 AM):I call that awareness
person (2:50:09 AM):consciousness
person (2:50:11 AM):but not fear
me (2:50:23 AM):are we not afraid of the harsh truth?
me (2:50:33 AM):the awareness?
person (2:50:38 AM):no
me (2:50:42 AM):it doesn’t paralyze us
me (2:51:00 AM):just like you said.. aware
person (2:51:12 AM):but that doesn’t make it fear
me (2:51:53 AM):wouldn’t you say one is an innate reaction and then the other is the resultant?
me (2:52:22 AM):result being aware, consciousness, fight or flight effect
me (2:52:27 AM):etc?
person (2:53:15 AM):but fear isn’t healthy
person (2:53:25 AM):awareness is
person (2:53:30 AM):we fear what we don’t know
me (2:53:36 AM):anything in excess is unhealthy
person (2:53:47 AM):fear in any quantity is unhealthy
me (2:54:28 AM):but we don’t know all, so fear is bond to happen–awareness, etc, is the healthy part to fear
me (2:54:30 AM):aye?
person (2:55:06 AM):no
person (2:55:14 AM):awareness is the opposite of fear
person (2:55:20 AM):it is the antidote to fear
me (2:56:03 AM):then what do you call it when the prey picks up it’s ears to the predictor?
person (2:56:39 AM):huh
me (2:59:17 AM):in nature, the gazelle picks up it’s ears to the as it approaches–do you deny that fear runs thought the prey–adrenaline rushes in heightening awareness?
me (2:59:27 AM):to the lion*
person (3:00:13 AM):the human being is elevated in this regard
person (3:00:21 AM):that is what sets us apart as the highest of creation
person (3:00:23 AM):our awareness
person (3:00:33 AM):that’s the whole point
person (3:00:38 AM):the difference between us and animals
person (3:00:44 AM):is that we have the ability to dispel our fears
person (3:00:53 AM):that is what we’ve been blessed with
me (3:01:34 AM):Freedom of will is what separates us
person (3:01:50 AM):and our awareness
me (3:02:24 AM):you mean the obtainment of knowledge
me (3:02:33 AM):“iqra…”
person (3:02:42 AM):more basic than that
person (3:02:50 AM):we are able to discern the world around us
person (3:03:06 AM):in such a way that allows us to make our own interpretations
person (3:03:20 AM):so the only reason we’d ever fear something
person (3:03:28 AM):is if we didn’t know about it
person (3:03:31 AM):if it was unknown
person (3:03:50 AM):but we have the ability to find out the unknown
me (3:05:13 AM):as do animals discern… that’s why we do not show the knife to them before we slaughter them. but do we not also have the knowledge of our own limited understanding of the world? and even in death… we know the little we do from the scriptures
me (3:06:13 AM):in an absolute sense i totally get what your saying… but it doesn’t seem realistic
person (3:06:39 AM):why not?
person (3:06:50 AM):aren’t we told not to fear anything but God?
person (3:07:07 AM):I believe even that statement has been corrupted in translation
person (3:07:28 AM):because taqwa does not mean fear so much as it means higher consciousness
person (3:07:35 AM):of course we feel fear person (3:07:42 AM):it’s natural
person (3:07:47 AM):but to say it’s healthy
person (3:07:50 AM):I can’t agree
me (3:09:28 AM):umm… you make me think… but cannot fear contribute to taqwa?
me (3:09:45 AM):a higher consciousness?
person (3:09:54 AM):I don’t think we should fear God
person (3:09:58 AM):I’ve told you this
me (3:10:01 AM):yes yes–I KNOW THIS
person (3:10:16 AM):perhaps fear is a step in the direction of consciousness
person (3:10:23 AM):but I don’t think it’s one we should stop at
person (3:10:33 AM):like I said
person (3:10:35 AM):it’s natural
me (3:10:38 AM):i never suggested we stop at it
me (3:10:45 AM):it’s a step of maturity though
me (3:10:51 AM):we must past
me (3:10:55 AM):to love Allah
person (3:11:30 AM):I mean
person (3:11:36 AM):I think it’s the default feeling
me (3:11:38 AM):even such ugly, shunned things as fear have a good side
person (3:11:42 AM):it doesn’t require much effort to fear things
me (3:11:49 AM):yes, it’s basic
person (3:11:52 AM):what good side could there be to fear?
me (3:12:26 AM):as long as it’s little, a heighten awareness–to accumulate understanding
me (3:12:44 AM):and with understanding comes the power to dispel fear
me (3:12:48 AM):and love
me (3:13:11 AM):we, as animalistic creatures must start somewhere
me (3:13:26 AM):we’re not innately holy or strong
person (3:13:51 AM):but then… it’s simply redundant to say fear is necessary
person (3:13:56 AM):because we fear by default
me (3:14:58 AM):we’re simply unaware by default, it’s when we wake up that we fear
person (3:16:04 AM):I dunno about that
person (3:16:08 AM):you may be right
person (3:16:16 AM):but I think we always fear
person (3:16:26 AM):it’s just subconsciously
me (3:17:33 AM):perhaps you are more aware then others…. my mind… some parts are still like a baby… until a lion approaches and my ears pick up
person (3:17:56 AM):perhaps
person (3:18:30 AM):but, for example, I think at the root of all racists is a fear
me (3:18:59 AM):like when you learn about crimes… the way people kill each other… how they caught them, torture…. when you walk down an alley way your aware of every sound behind you
me (3:19:14 AM):oh racists are overwhelmed with fear
me (3:20:14 AM):a twinge of fear–to keep you aware of what’s behind you in that alley-way–because you just learned new possibilities …
me (3:20:49 AM):of how someone can hurt you is what i am talking about—and even that can develop into paranoia
me (3:21:36 AM):our task in our free will is to dispel the fear–or at least most of it
me (3:21:56 AM):if we’re not able to do all of it
me (3:22:06 AM):to keep ourselves safe
me (3:23:46 AM):your right, I’m right… we just start from different gauges and starts
me (3:24:10 AM):but i think we concur about heighten awareness etc
person (3:26:07 AM):yeah
person (3:26:10 AM):I guess so person (3:26:12 AM):lol
me (3:27:47 AM):och’ay yaar, it’s been a very very very long and arduous day alhumduillah
me (3:27:54 AM):very productive
me (3:28:05 AM):and i am very tired ……..
