"Overcome your fear."
I remember a period of time when this was the mantra everywhere.
The supposed result? A better, more fulfilling life, where you can do anything, reach any height, accomplish any ambition.
And yet, fear is useful.
If it wasn't, why do we have it, and why is it instantly recognisable as a facial expression?
Also, why is it impossible to completely get rid of?
Without fear, we'd have become extinct a long time ago.
Our curious ancestors would have popped random brightly-coloured berries into their mouths, ventured into lion dens, jumped off cliffs, or tried to swim to faraway islands.
And who will have stayed behind to remember and record the dangerous acts?
My contention is that fear should be acknowledged, managed, and respected. Not erased.
Openness and Neuroticism on The Big Five - Do They Affect Your Preferences For Freedom vs. Security?
Following on from the previous post about freedom, security, and risk, I once had a discussion about the possibility that our leanings toward one or the other has to do with our personalities and preferences.
The 2 traits discussed were, referencing the Big Five, that of Openness to Experience and Neuroticism.
The thought goes that:
High Openness and Low Neuroticism may favour leaning towards freedom (and higher risk).
Low Openness and High Neuroticism may favour the opposite - leaning instead towards security and stability.
If Openness and Neuroticism are both high or both low, then they may be somewhere in the middle, depending on their other personality traits.
Perhaps they enjoy freedom, but within a certain umbrella of security, possibly determined by themselves.
Obviously, not being psychologists, these are only speculations. Nevertheless, it was an interesting discussion.
If you happen to know your Big Five traits, and you've figured out your tendency towards freedom / security, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.
Freedom vs. Security - Where Are You On This Spectrum?
One of the reasons that I loved games like Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons (from my previous post) and Sid Meier’s Pirates was that I was fascinated with the ideology of the pirate.
Sure, it’s been highly romanticised by popular fiction, especially Treasure Island, and, more recently, the successful Pirates of the Caribbean series.
Still, there’s just something so appealing about sailing the high seas, living in the company of ride-or-die comrades, far away from “civilisation”, outside of the clutches of societal expectations.
Of course, life on a ship was difficult, dangerous, and often deadly.
You could die in battle or mutiny, during a tempestuous storm, from malnutrition or scurvy, as well as a plethora of other undesirable ends.
But there can be no freedom without risk. And I deeply value that freedom.
Which isn’t to say that I eschew any form of stability and security.
It’s not a one-or-the-other deal. We’re all somewhere on the continuum.
Some of us lean towards freedom (which, of course, comes with risk), and some of us lean towards stability and security (which is typically less risky).
So where would you be on this continuum / spectrum?
Do you lean more towards the free and risky end (Arrr, me hearties!), or the stable and secure one (ye landlubber)?
I Learned Geography From Playing This DOS Game
One of the first games I played on a computer was Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons.
As a quick introduction, the game starts after you select a character, who will have an affiliation to a naval nation - Portugal, England, Turkey, etc.
The main goal is to complete the character's story by completing story quests, that are typically advanced by gaining fame as an adventurer, pirate, or trader.
All characters are capable of being any of these "professions", though their main stories favour a particular type, and, consequently, each character will have skills and abilities that lean toward that type.
Nevertheless, you are free to buck the trend and fulfil your desire to become Captain Jack Sparrow or Hector Barbossa (you can even target other pirates), become a virtual millionaire by trading exotic goods (or run tried-and-tested local trade routes), even sate your wanderlust by exploring unknown parts of the world.
The maps were fairly accurate and remembering important ports' locations and information (like what goods were sold there and where the market was) helped kickstart my education on Geography.
I particularly enjoyed the free-play aspect of the game and still play it from time to time. As it was a DOS game, I've had to use an emulator - DOSBox - to play it on a modern PC.
If you've played this game before, or any like it, let me know!
