Fear is defined as "a feeling of anxiety and agitation caused by the presence or nearness of danger, evil, pain, etc...; a feeling of uneasiness or apprehension..." (Websters, 1988). Both Star Wars and Star Trek address fear in there own way and I have always been intrigued by an interesting debate that seems to have emerged between the two sagas. On one hand, Master Yoda warns of the dangers of allowing one's fear to consume him/her as this is a clear path toward the Dark Side. On the other hand, Worf exclaims the Klingon philosphy that fear is not only good but essential for one's survival. So, which philosophy is right and what should we humans do about the natural emotion of fear? I have come to look at these seemingly opposing perspectives on fear in two ways: one of separation of two types of fear and the other of a synthesis of the two philosophies regarding fear in general.
Since fear has various definitions, we could assume that Yoda and Worf are referring to two different types of fear. In warning to not allow one's fear to consume one's thoughts, it is not a far-fetched assumption that Yoda could be referring to that type of fear related to phobias, "irrational, excessive, and persistant fear of some particular thing or situation" (Websters, 1988), which can often be a debilitating disorder for many people in today's society. This type of fear leads many individuals to miss out on some of the pleasures of life, isolate themselves from society, and, in some cases, lead the individual to suffering as well as to the suffering of others. Yoda's warning about fear focused primarily on the feelings within the Skywalker boys -- Luke and Anakin. In the original trilogy, Yoda spoke of the fear he sensed in Luke and showed concern over this fear. Then, in Episode One, Yoda directly told young Anakin that he sensed much fear in him. Luke, of course, in the end seized control of his fear and eventually led the Rebellion to defeat the evil Empire while Anakin did not fare so well against his fear as he was seduced by the Dark Side and became Darth Vader, who Luke later defeated and freed from the powers of the Dark Side just before Vader's death. Though it all turned out for the best in the end, Yoda's contention that fear (phobia) leads to suffering was prophetic. From this perspective, then, we need to be wary of such fear -- if we allow it to consume us, we put ourselves at risk for suffering.
Worf, I believe, refers to a different type of fear as his bold statement eludes to the natural "fight or flight response" in all humans (and, apparently, Klingons). Fear can be a good thing as it is a signal of eminent danger or the possibility of failure. We should accept this type of fear and allow it to aid us in decision making. Without this type of fear, an individual is setting him / herself up for possible failure, injury, and/or death. No one should enter a dark alleyway in the middle of the night or go into any situation where the possibility of danger is very real, without some feelings of apprehension. Those who do, often find some themselves in trouble. We need to be aware of the possibilities in our comtemporary society and always enter certain arenas with some caution, which can be considered fear of the possibilities that lurk. In this sense, then, Worf seems to be discussing common sense when he states that "only fools have no fear........"
So, what of the idea of a synthesis between the two philosophies regarding fear? I believe that Yoda and Worf offer us all a well-rounded approach to understanding fear if we were to combine the two philosophies into one. We cannot --or shoud not -- deny that fear is a very real emotion and normal for all of us to feel from time to time. Yet, we must be aware that certain fears are irrational and, if allowed to become excessive and persistent, may lead us astray in many ways. So, we must be "mindful" of this and be able to differentiate between irrational fear and rational fear. If we can accomplish this, then we will also recognize that fear can be our ally in certain situations and help us to make good decisions, keep us out of harm's way, and lead us down the road of success.
