What would you say is man's greatest fear?

Thats an easy one.

Death. Its a concept that holds loads of human hangups. The fear of the unknown, fear of judgement, fear of pain and suffering, fear of loss... The list goes on.

Th8nker

reply to post by platipus


So losing your mind and not succeeding in getting it back is the fear? The fear to give up fighting. But it doesn't last very long for most. The end usually comes quick so either way you look at it you will know the truth soon.

Not to put to much of a downer on this thread,
Having been researching about the Holocaust and the going ons of that era, I think being interned and being put to forced labour till you drop without any hope is my greatest fear, I mean being stripped down of any ethical moral or compassion to your fellow being would be the worst case scenario for me, If your a natural survivor think what type of person you may become in that scenario,.....

reply to post by Th8nker


I don't know. Most of the people i have asked anyway say they are not afraid to die. Most religious people are not afraid to die. More people in the world have a religion than those who do not. So that can't be it.


answers.yahoo.com...

which says:

How come only 16% of the world is classified as non-religious?
How the hell come only 16% of the world is classified as non-religious and even half of that number believes in God(8% theistic but non-religious) So Atheists,Agnostics ,secular Humanists and those that answer "none" or "no" religion comprise 8% of the world population?
Does that mean that the worlds population only consists of 8% intelligent people? Wow, such a minority. I don't get it?


So more people would not be afraid of death. So it cannot be Man's greatest fear.

Mans BIGGEST fear is.


Women being treated fairly for a change

and with that somehow losing their masculinity.

reply to post by Conclusion


well, i mean control is a factor of alot of things, like keeping the mind from going totally nuts and succeeding or not.


so having control has my vote for greatest fear of man.

but then, decision comes in my mind...

[edit on 22-10-2009 by platipus]

reply to post by foxhoundone


I am not sure.

What did they have to hold on to to get them through it. Religion. Ask some very bright prisoners how they deal with what they go through. Survival kicks in. But the Jewish people stayed loyal to their religion. And for the ones that came through it they know how they did it.

reply to post by Conclusion


Let me refine my answer....

the fear of being forgotten, as in, to have lived a life without having done that which complies with your definition of the meaning of life....

Huh??....every man has his own definition of what his purpose on this earth is. And to not have answered to this definition is the biggest fear of man....

Oh and as you stated

If you really wish to be remembered then do something great.

Depends on what you definition of great is!! Adolf Hitler was a great man......according to Adolf Hitler.

Peace

reply to post by Conclusion

Yeah its a tricky one for me to put to bed so to speak, I mean when i was reading the accounts of the Jewish people gong to the camps and fellow inmates giving the "swirling finger" sign to indicate the incinerators, Who knows what sort of changes will happen to your personal behavior, as for religion at that moment in time i would be hard pushed to believe in any sort of god,

reply to post by Conclusion


I would say mankind's greatest fear is the unknown. Which encompasses death, the future, what we don't understand, why we are here, where we are going, etc etc etc etc etc.

[edit on 22-10-2009 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]

reply to post by platipus


Not being in control. Kind of reminds me of this.

www.scribd.com...

It is a long thread so do with it what you will.

reply to post by foxhoundone


That is true, but for religious people that is when they hope the most.

reply to post by Conclusion

That's a very true and sound statement, And may have helped many survive the horrors of this era, I suppose you would do as much as humanly possible to remain alive, But think of the corruption of your believes/soul, That would be my biggest fear...

Originally posted by operation mindcrime
reply to post by Conclusion

 

Let me refine my answer....

the fear of being forgotten, as in, to have lived a life without having done that which complies with your definition of the meaning of life....

Huh??....every man has his own definition of what his purpose on this earth is. And to not have answered to this definition is the biggest fear of man....

Oh and as you stated

If you really wish to be remembered then do something great.

Depends on what you definition of great is!! Adolf Hitler was a great man......according to Adolf Hitler.

Peace

Your right. Every man does have his own thought on what it is but as earlier speaking from an evolutionary view point it would have to be the same. And since they have their own definition what do they fear?


With the last one I said do something Great. As in big that people will remember you for. I did not say do something good.

reply to post by foxhoundone


Yes that would be a big fear. In order to get through you would have to succeed. So I believe this one falls under Failure to succeed also.

reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows


Think I refuted that in a previous post.


reply to post by Th8nker


I don't know. Most of the people i have asked anyway say they are not afraid to die. Most religious people are not afraid to die. More people in the world have a religion than those who do not. So that can't be it.


answers.yahoo.com...

which says:

How come only 16% of the world is classified as non-religious?
How the hell come only 16% of the world is classified as non-religious and even half of that number believes in God(8% theistic but non-religious) So Atheists,Agnostics ,secular Humanists and those that answer "none" or "no" religion comprise 8% of the world population?
Does that mean that the worlds population only consists of 8% intelligent people? Wow, such a minority. I don't get it?


So more people would not be afraid of death. So it cannot be Man's greatest fear.


signature
If your mind is closed to possibilities, then it is open to nothing.

reply to post by eclectic.thoughts


Fear does exist. Look that what all the people who have posted fear. It is a feeling we get. It is real I can feel it, as I feel love. If what you said is correct about fear then it would be correct about all feelings and emotions.

reply to post by Conclusion


I fail to see the refutation. Why do you think mankind clings to these religions that teach hope for an afterlife? Fear of death or fear what happens in that afterlife *heaven hell*. The great unknown. While we may force ourselves to believe there is something beyond death *something I believe as well* we do NOT truly KNOW what is beyond death if anything. Thus the reason we cling to those things that give us some hint of a promise.

[edit on 22-10-2009 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]

reply to post by eclectic.thoughts


I believe your getting very close to it. But how do we overcome the fear?

reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows


We do not truly know? I think that if someone dies for what he believes in then that man thought he knew. So since there are more religious people than not on the earth, fear of the unknown cannot be Man's greatest fear. The masses greatest fear.