On Fear

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Being afraid is a socially-learned behavior. In saying this, I am not desensitizing fear or the state of high distress. However, I am stating that, it is within human nature to socialize and thereby inherit certain fears. By the same token, doesn't that mean that I can train myself to be afraid? 

For example, I am deathly afraid of snakes. 

Here are some questions I ask myself: 

Fear & exposure--- If I so choose to go to the snake exhibit of the zoo everyday, does the constant exposure of snakes aggravate or conciliate my fear? 


Fear & association --- If I analyze the harm of snakes (killing me by poison, or worse, biting my ankle off and bringing me great hospital bills) and rationalize it (I live in the city). Does rationalization disassociate me from this fear? 


Fear & society --- I know a lot of the fears are common (fear of spiders, heights) amongst population. If I had the absurd ability to change society's common fears, such as to fear eucalyptus trees and to love snakes, will I still be deathly afraid of snakes? 

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