Sometimes I'm serious.

FEAR

Fear allows people to stay alive.  If one had absolutely no fear they’d be likely to experiment with actions that would lead to death.  Fear is negative when it unnecessarily prevents one from joy.  Most fears are unproductive and lead to pain.

Just about everything in the universe is unknown to any individual.  The events of the past can be analyzed but almost never fully understood.  Present moments are limited to one time and place. 

We can set clear goals for the future.  We can use the most reliable information to make positive choices.  Knowledge of the future doesn’t exist.  Anything outside of the immediate moment can’t be known with absolute certainty.

Guaranteed safety never exists.  Many are fortunate enough to discover ways to survive.  Fears that exist due to legitimate safety concerns are highly beneficial.  Any time physical violence is a possibility it’s necessary to make survival an immediate priority.  Fears with no basis in reality too often prevent people from living the life they want.  It’s easy for most people to be initially uncomfortable in highly uncertain situations.

The unexamined life may not be worth living?  To many it’s much better to work, watch TV, and die than pursue philosophy.  Each person must make their own choices on how to best live in a reality where so much is unknown.

Death is frightening.  It’s the ultimate unknown.  Since there’s no evidence of any afterlife, those who love life should focus on the present.
 

The closest thing we have to certainty in life is that eventually it ends.  What happens to us in between the present moment and death is unpredictable.  Even those who stick to rigid routines have elements of surprise occur.  Those who claim they have no fixed plans often still meet their survival needs with some planning.

It’s best to be honest about how one feels about death.  Denying death makes no sense.  Denial leads one away from the basic truths of existence.  If one chooses not to dwell on death due to being uncertain, they may be making a logical choice.  Those who fear death should do their best to live well despite their fear.

It’s quite natural to fear the unknown.  Once a reasonable amount of comfort is established it can lead to repeated patterns of living well.  Until comfort is established it can be unnerving to deal with high levels of uncertainty. 

Since most of life is unknown it could be argued that fear of the unknown is fear of life itself. Reasonable people are not overly concerned with absolute certainty.  

When safety is threatened it’s not wise to stay put unless the potential reward is worth the risk.  Cultural customs vary quite a bit depending on time and place.  As long as a person can show basic respect they should get along with nearly all people.

Elements of the unknown are likely to be present in nearly every moment.  Choosing how to deal with the unknown determines how one lives.  Learning how to best deal with the unknown is a lifelong process.  Since life is constantly changing, individuals benefit from change frequently.

All people are vulnerable to making errors in judgment.  Too many feel they have responded poorly to the chances they had in life.  While it can be quite difficult to overcome negative thought processes it must be done to live well.  Learn from mistakes.  Use negative experiences to attempt to live well in the present as much as possible.

Perhaps life is exciting because we don’t know what will occur.  Continually seek knowledge.  Accept that even if one is constantly learning they still experience the unknown.  Even those who make deliberate attempts to surround themselves with familiarity still live with uncertainty.  Embrace the changes and unpredictability of life.  Continue to make efforts to change to be the person that you want to be by defeating unnecessary fears.