【What is the true nature of fear?】Fear is in your head

My usually obedient child threw a rare tantrum.
My child, who was in second grade at the time, wouldn't take a bath alone.

"Go take a bath by yourself."
"No!"

They are usually such a good kid that I sometimes doubt they are actually my own child,
but when it comes to the bath, no matter how much I tell them to go, they just won't.

Here is how I handle times like this: I ask them various questions.

Why don't you want to go in alone?
"Because I'm scared."
It's a common kid thing to pout with a puckered mouth, looking a bit like they're glaring at you.

What are you scared of?
"That a ghost might appear."

Ah, that's a classic. And then?
Where would the ghost come from?
"From behind the mirror."
That's a super thin ghost!!
"Ngh-phuu!"
When I said that, the child laughed too.

What would you say if that super thin ghost appeared?
"I'd say, 'Hello!'"
"Gua-haa!!"
I couldn't help but hold back my laughter.
We both burst out laughing!

Once we calmed down,
"Phew, I still can't stop laughing. Do you really think that's going to happen?"
When I asked that,
the child shook their head.

"Alright! Try going in by yourself."
"Okay!"

With that, they headed to the bathroom alone. Afterward, they were singing loudly in the bath.

I suppose they wanted to distract themselves from the fear.
What is this all about?
There is a reason for the things we fear.

Because they are unknown and we lack information, we imagine the worst-case scenario in our own heads.
This is the true nature of fear.

For example,
at work, you might feel vaguely afraid to report to your boss, or you might jump when someone you didn't expect calls out to you.

You amplify the other person's actions in your mind, feeling like the worst possible thing for you is about to happen.
That is the true nature of that super thin ghost.

Fear without a basis.
This really hurts the other person, so please, I want you to stop doing it.
When someone calls out to you and you jump, the other person ends up wondering if they did something wrong.

Even if you pass by a boss you're vaguely afraid of, just say "Hello."

If you say it just like the ghost in our house, the boss will be happy and think, "They're so energetic."

The fear in your head won't come to pass.

If you can't shake that feeling, it's also good to look into what kind of person your boss is; you can just observe their daily behavior.
If you do that, you can make up for the lack of information that makes them seem like an unknown entity.

Before you know it, the fear will be gone.

Now you're not even afraid to go give your report!
"Alright! Let's go give that report!"

If you're still scared, it's also fine to sing while you head over to give your report!

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