The book “How to Face Fear” was recently published by the New Acropolis
publishing house. The author is Michel Echenique, Philosopher and Director of
the Bodhidharma International Philosophical Martial Arts Institute.
This book, based on the author’s wealth of experience, teaches us that “Fear is
a force of nature and not an attribute of a particular person. Fear has existed
since time immemorial. Its natural function is to protect.”
Among the many surprising revelations in the book, we learn that most people
have developed bad conditioned reflexes. These reflexes cause them to flee fear,
which generates panic. When there is panic, two types of reactions can be seen:
euphoria and submission—both of which are negative.
Panic has the power to suggest. It invents in our heads situations that do not
really exist. We then enter a sort of delirium or madness in which we no longer
see a situation as it really is. We see a phantasmagorical universe.
The author adds, “And so, what causes problems in situations of risk is not fear
itself, but our behaviour when faced with fear.”
When faced with fear, generally the first thing we do is we become tense and
rigid. On the contrary, we must relax. To face fear, the author recommends
staying calm and serene above all else. Calm is necessary to maintain our
presence of mind.
“In a difficult situation, when we have presence of mind, even the weakest
person becomes strong.”
Philosophical martial arts offers a way to learn to manage fear correctly. And
philosophy, as an Art of Living, is an excellent path towards calm and serenity.
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Link to the Bodhidharma International Philosophical Martial Arts Institute
