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The possibility of bravery arises amidst fear. Is bravery the lightness in the darkness of fear? Perhaps, there is no bravery without fear. Maybe, there’s fear in bravery. Fear is Yin. Bravery is Yang. Bravery and fear are in the balance.
Communications Theory distinguishes the measure of the Signal-to-Noise Ratio. This quantifies the transmitted signal fidelity like the Super Bowl broadcast and its reception by the home viewer like you and me.
The transmitted signal travels through the transmission Channel, the link between the DirecTV Satellite and your home TV flat screen. Additive Noise exists in this Channel, i.e. the intrinsic background interference, defined as the Noise power. Noise adds to the transmitted Super Bowl Signal. The transmitted Signal has defined Signal power. The Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) is the ratio of the Signal power to the Noise power. This is Communications Theory 400.
Think of you being Afraid as Noise, which is always present in the background, and sometime foreground. Now think of you being Brave as our generated Signal, who you choose to be.
Consider your Brave-to-Afraid Ratio (BAR). When Brave and Afraid have the same power the Ratio is 1 or 0 dB. Let’s define this equilibrium as normal. When Afraid increases, we experience fear. When Brave increases, we experience empowerment. We are free to be, free to act.
Fear is always there. Werner Erhard and University of Pennsylvania Professor Jonathan Moreno discussed the nature of fear at the University’s Film Festival. Werner said that you never really get rid of real fear. Jonathan pointed out that fear is in fact biological. It’s how we’re all wired. Fear is our human design.
Francis Bacon said, “Nothing is terrible except fear itself.” Werner inquires, “How am I going to be in the face of fear?” Werner distinguished that accepting fear allows you to create what’s possible, and ultimately make a difference.
In the Yin and Yang of human being, brave can arise in experiencing afraid. Humanity is in the balance of brave and afraid. Maybe, one does not exist without the other?
When does brave arise above afraid? Bruce Lee said, “Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless like water.” Surrender to being afraid in the big picture. Be with afraid.
O-Sensei said, “True victory is victory over oneself.” It’s possible to be brave when you let afraid be. Overcome thine own self. Sensei Dan would say, “Everything natural.” Awase. Blend.
I fear many things. Yet, sometimes my brave rises above afraid. Brave arose when I feared suffering in my previous job. I sought out my best friend Chuck. He helped me find a greater new job. Brave arose when I listened to Mom’s voice, “Jonny, slow down” when I feared coming back to Aikido after 5 months of recovering from injury.
On a smaller scale brave arose, when I messaged Elly on Match dot com. I was afraid she would eventually dismiss me. I got that was just my prejudice. So I continued to correspond. We shall see.
According to Francis Bacon: Fear is terrible. However, when I let go of my judgment of me I discover the freedom to be brave regardless of circumstance. I raise my Brave-to-Afraid Ratio (BAR) in accepting afraid.
What we do and who we become give rise to the possibility of brave. Perhaps fear is that blessing which grants the discovery of the brave within all of us. Brave is you being the greater than you.
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Photo credit: Pixabay
Lisa – I love the rescue photo!