Sherri Malouf makes some good points about safe learning environments. I
would like to add to her reflections on fear.
There are certainly many fears and you have mentioned a number of them.
The most intense points of fear, I think, are those that are "identity
threatening". This can be a "threat" for good or ill, e.g. fear of
success (change in one's self-concept) and fear of being emotionally
overwhelmed and dis-integrated during a traumatic experience.
Ultimately, as the Buddhists would contend, our fear is the accurate
perception that we don't exist. We are not the solid entity we suppose we
are. Minor or major changes and dislocations give us an intimation of
this experience. If anyone is too freaked out about this idea (as I
sometimes am), you might think of Karlfried Durkheim's comment along the
line that the ego doesn't really ever die, you just find out that it lives
in a bigger house than you thought.
Cliff Briggie
Leadership Innovations
Leadrinnov@aol.com
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