Fear is the Mind Killer

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

- Bene Geserit "Litany Against Fear"


There is a lot of fear in Eve. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure, fear of loss, fear of mockery - a rampant, self-mitigated and often overwhelming sense of some monster lurking in a dark corner. I find the expression of fear to be one of the most puzzling things I've found in my years of flying around the universe of New Eden. I don't understand it.

I'm not writing this post to mock, or even to belittle, those that live in fear. I am hopeful that I can help you. My goal is to try and understand your fear and help you to see that, despite what your brain is telling you, there is absolutely nothing at all to be afraid of. Nothing. At. All.

I was once afraid. I undocked for the first time completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of the universe suddenly thrust in front of my eyes. The dizzying array of buttons, skills, ships and threatening "reds", "pirates", "scammers" and assorted wing-nuts Eve is infamous for. The darkness was everywhere. It took me some time to gain my feet. I'm not ashamed to admit that. Figuring out how to get to a gate, much less work up the courage to jump thru one ( What would become of me on the other side? Would I be able to find my way back?), took some amount of courage in the early hours of that first day.

At first I just wanted to be left alone. I'd find my own way thank you very much. And I wanted nothing to do with anyone. And then one day while mining a rock in my Ibis, a lovely couple warped into my belt. A husband and wife. We had a nice chat. It was the first time I had talked to anyone in Eve before, other than Aura. And they told me a lot of very interesting things. Of particular interest was a man they knew who ran a Corporation that was getting ready to move to Null Space.

The rest, as they say, is history.

I say this as strongly as I can - there is nothing to fear in Eve. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. I've been penniless twice. I've been podded 79 times. I've started and lost four Corporations. I've been a major player in five failed Alliances. I've had billions in Corp assets lost. I've been hot-dropped, blobbed, mocked, camped, threatened, scammed, burnt, kicked, harassed, criticized, belittled, and what-ever else that can be done to someone in this game. And guess what?

I'm still here. Better than ever. Wiser. Stronger. With a big duffle bag of stories, adventures, and tales to tell. Enough perhaps to keep a blog going for over four years now?

I encourage you to be adventurous. To sail the dark skies. To try new things and dare the unknown. Be a part of the story, not a passive bystander. Make the world you want a reality.

What is the worst that can happen? Let it happen to you.

Therein lies the tale.

A tale worthy of the telling.



Comments

Malcolm Shinhwa said…
"I am immortal, I have inside me blood of kings,
I have no rival, No man can be my equal,
Take me to the future of your world,
Born to be kings, Princes of the universe,"

Queen, Princes of the Universe

A bookend quote for your nicely written article.
Rixx Javix said…
One of my favorites, whenever I'm feeling down in the dumps that is one that always makes me feel better.
Kirith Kodachi said…
I prefer the Ninveah variation: Fear is the Joy Killer
:)
Anonymous said…
The skillful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man. For the wise man delights in establishing his merit, the brave man likes to show his courage in action, the covetous man is quick at seizing advantages, and the stupid man has no fear of death.
SKINE DMZ said…
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger - cheesy but true :-)
Rixx Javix said…
Luckily for us then that "death" has no meaning in the context of Eve.
Anonymous said…
When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.
Tecumseh

That's my favorite.
Anonymous said…
Sorry for anon comment, but isn't fear necessary? A little bit of fear at least? Isn't fear one of the reasons we get excited during combat in EVE? The fear of loss? The fear of defeat?
Knug Lidi said…
I'd rather die in my sleep, like my Dad.
Not screaming in fear, like his passengers.

One of my favorites.
Rixx Javix said…
Fear is ever present, it is in many ways the cornerstone of our survival as a species. And I could go off on a whole tangent here, but as with many things in our lives the essential elements are balancing the application in our lives. Does fear control your actions, or does it inform your actions?