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Mark Satin, author-activist                                                                R. Michael Fisher, Host, FearTalks series

I recommend anyone interested in the domain of political activism, visionary leadership, and American political movements, that you check out FearTalk #22, that I recently did with Mark Satin. We explore diverse topics, including the impact of anger/fear and its downfall for many activist movements. Mark shares his new book (excerpts): 

"Up From Socialism" (recently published by Bomardier Books, 2023). Go to the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv-tFgxRXUQ

 

[Note: Nov. 30, 2023: I have been reading Mark's book now for a few days. In the video talk above he said at one point that he searched his word.doc file of the ms. for "fear" and/or related terms and said there were 30+ uses in the book. Well, I can tell you there are way more than that. I'm see 40-50 uses in the first 35 pp. of the book, when one does a basic fearanalysis. Indeed, what is this new book about but "fear" and organizing in the political domain. Now, what is good fear and what isn't? A larger set of questions arises...].  

 

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The Fear Problematique: Fisher's New Book

 

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A volume in the series: Studies in the Philosophy of Education. Editor(s): John E. Petrovic, The University of Alabama.

Published Nov. 15/23 2023 and for sale (see ordering flyer): SITPOE8.pdf

Also, add Discount Code for a good price reduction deal: discount code  TFP23, effective today, ending March 31, 2024.

[also, as of Dec. 18/23, I made a 30 min. video on introducing the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tXi-uEE4fk ]

The author, with over three decades of focused research on fear and fearlessness and 45 years as an emancipatory educator, argues that philosophy and philosophy of education have missed several great opportunities to help bring about theoretical and meta-perspectival clarity, wisdom, compassion, and practical ways to the sphere of fear management/education (FME) throughout history. FME is not simple, nor a luxury, it is complex. It’s foundational to good curriculum but it requires careful philosophical critique. This book embarks on a unique transdisciplinary understanding of The Fear Problematique and how it can be integrated as a pivotal contextual reference for assessing the ‘best’ way to go in Education today and tomorrow. Educational philosophy is examined and shown to have largely ‘missed the boat’ in terms of responding critically and ethically to the insidious demand of having to truly educate ourselves when we are so scared stiff. Such a state of growing chronic fear, of morphing types of fear, and a culture of fear, ought to be central in shaping a philosophy of fear(ism) for education. The book challenges all leaders, but especially philosophers and educators, to upgrade their own fear imaginary and fear education for the 21st century, a century of terror likely to grow in the cascading global crises.

 CONTENTS

Preface. 

CHAPTER 1: Introduction.

CHAPTER 2: Philosophy and a Fearturn.

CHAPTER 3: Education Philosophy 'Misses the Boat.'

CHAPTER 4: Fear(ism) as Philosophy: A Transformative Paradigm.

CHAPTER 5: Fear Management/Education for the 21st Century.

CHAPTER 6: Fearlessness as Educational Philosophy.

CHAPTER 7: Recommendations.

Glossary. References. Index.

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Ed. Note: Fearmorphosis book by Desh Subba 2023 reviewed here below, was first posted in The Existentialist Cafe group on Facebook. On that post David Grahame Armes commented. His comment cannot be shared with readers. For the convenience of them,with the permission of commenters, published. -DS] 

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Desh Subba, isn't this article saying fear of everything crashing down is fundamental in metamorphosis within people, economies and societies which has delivered every advance known to Humanity? I do not dispute that fear can be a huge motivation for most people, but this can go too far reaching a point where people no longer fear even death because they've had it up to here with fear, and of course many people find this extremely difficult to understand and frightening because such people appear out of control still living but with a totally different motivation. This is basically true. Nevertheless, it is people in this state of mind who have actually delivered the great advances in Humans and Society.

Without fearless Universalists like Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Gandhi, MLK, and Baron RAF Battle of Britain Air Marshall Lord Sir Hugh Tremenheere Dowding (who had a laugh claiming he never got the true recognition he deserved after WW2 whilst turning his attention to working with Walt Disney in the Fairy Investigation Society), there would likely be nothing to raise the endeavor of people from the barbarity of constant warfare of some sort or another.

World Religion was created and maintained by these people, and without tolerant liberal Religion as the first and arguably best form of Politics because it acts to unify despite what openly sectional politicians who brought it down say today, there really would be no universities, libraries, science, schools, industrial revolution, philosophy, politics, and comfort. Even an isolated Amazon tribe motivates its members through something greater than the struggle to keep alive, probably because that would be far too depressing and they'd all give up and die out. Even today in the seemingly secular West we still idolise Love and falling in Love as the highest motivation we could hope for even though being in Love confronts everyone with our collective desire to be Functioning Mad rather than still Mad but not Functioning so well. If the Sisyphus metaphor is correct here we have to madly embrace not being afraid in order to keep getting motivated to keep pushing the huge rock up the hill.

I guess I don't totally agree with the Fearmorphosis thesis, because in a Western mindset at least we desire to be fearlessly Mad and Free in order to get anything done.

In this respect we have been extremely successful so far, even if the Planet teeters on the edge of total destruction regularly these days. What Westerners say is Liberal Democracies that idolise Love and Freedom rarely if ever go to War with each other, so we are frantically trying to help everyone be as Mad as we are before the whole thing goes belly up!

The real huge gaping academic gap in the market for ideas, is a more comprehensive examination and appreciation of what Madness actually is and how it can metamorphosis into different things that we decide are not Madness whether for Good, Reason, or Utter Evil? We simply are not looking at the main drivers of real Progress in every way. Not whilst we're basically using pseudoscience to control it whenever it appears problematic regardless of whether this is true or not?
 
The element in the Fearmorphosis thesis covering different forms of scapegoating is relevant to how we treat pseudoscience mental health patients.
 
In my own case, there appears zero interest in whether the original reasons for scapegoating me had or have any basis in reality, as well as a grim determination to carry on scapegoating me regardless. The fact that only something like God Almighty can probably deliver me from this fate, and in fact is something I claim to know something about, only seems to motivate the scapegoating further and in and of itself the combination of the two is driving Political and Psychiatric change yet again!
 
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How do we catch people where they fall? How do we respond to this crisis in a way that doesn’t reinforce its architecture? What kind of politics is being summoned at this time?  

Join OBI’s Democracy & Belonging Forum on Thursday, November 16, 2023 (8:00 AM - 9:15 AM PT / 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM ET / 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM CET) for the next conversation in our ongoing series The Edges in the Middle, where OBI Global Senior Fellow Bayo Akomolafe will speak with Professor Sa’ed Atshan and OBI’s Cecilie Surasky on holding each other’s pain even as lines are increasingly drawn around whose lives are grievable and whose are not.

 As Israel continues its relentless bombardment of Gaza following Hamas’ murder of 1,400 Israeli civilians, which itself came after 75 years of Israeli occupation over Palestine, so many of us feel hopeless under the weight of bearing witness to—or personally experiencing—seemingly endless cycles of violence, trauma, and dehumanization.

 Starting from the premise that all people belong and all lives are grievable, the speakers will explore how honoring each other’s grief may allow us to reclaim each other’s humanity and perhaps shed light on a path forward to belonging in Israel-Palestine, for Muslims, Jews, and Christians, and for all people around the world. Bayo, Sa’ed, and Cecilie will journey into what it might be like to glimpse at the world through tears: what visions are possible when we postpone the compulsion to see everything clearly?

 

Here is a panel of very progressive thinkers on the problems of world conflict today. If you get a change, this may be a worthwhile talk for you and others in grief and who are feeling somewhat hopeless with the rise of crisis and WWW-III lurking. 

-M.

 

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Zaker Hussain
The article provides a critique of Dan Brown's novel "Origin" from the perspective of Fearism, a philosophical framework developed by Nepali thinker and writer Desh Subba. The article examines the novel's themes, characters, and the interplay between religion and science, offering an alternative perspective rooted in Fearism. Let's critically analyze the article:
 
Overview of the Novel: The article offers a concise summary of the novel "Origin," describing the main character, Edmond Kirsch, and the central conflict between religion and science. This provides readers with an understanding of the book's premise and its relevance to the critique.
 
Fearism Introduction: The article introduces Fearism as a philosophical concept developed by Desh Subba, which places fear as a primary driver of human behavior and society. This background sets the stage for the subsequent analysis.
 
Character Analysis: The article highlights that all characters in the novel are portrayed as fearful, with specific reference to Edmond Kirsch's reading of atheist authors Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. The fear-driven behavior of characters in the novel is an interesting point, but the article does not delve deeper into how fear influences their actions and decisions.
 
Religion vs. Science: The article asserts that the novel is a victory of science over religion, breaking the notion of God as a creator. It suggests that this perspective aligns with Fearism, but it doesn't provide an in-depth exploration of how the novel addresses this conflict. The relationship between science, religion, and fear could be explored more thoroughly.
 
Cultural and Philosophical References: The article references various philosophers and philosophical concepts, such as Friedrich Nietzsche and Albert Camus. While these references are interesting, the article could benefit from a more detailed examination of how these philosophies connect to the novel's themes and the Fearism framework.
 
Narrative Structure: The article discusses the novel's narrative structure, mentioning elements like mystery, conspiracy, and conflict. However, it doesn't delve deeply into the storytelling techniques used by Dan Brown to create suspense or how these elements relate to the theme of fear.
 
Cultural and Geographical Context: The article suggests that the novel's setting in Spain is suitable due to its Catholic and culturally unique background. It briefly touches on how different cultures shape individuals' perspectives, but a more comprehensive exploration of this aspect could add depth to the analysis.
 
Fearism and Creationism: The article claims that Fearism can be applied to understanding the novel's critique of creationism. While this connection is intriguing, it would be more informative if it explained how Fearism offers a unique perspective on this topic and how it differs from other philosophical approaches.
 
Writing Style: The article's writing style is generally clear and straightforward, but it could benefit from more detailed analysis, critical engagement with the novel's themes, and a more structured presentation of ideas.
 
Clarity of Argument: The article presents intriguing ideas but could be more coherent and organized in its argumentation. It often jumps between topics without fully developing each point.
 
In conclusion, the article offers a unique perspective on Dan Brown's novel "Origin" by applying the philosophy of Fearism. However, it could benefit from a more in-depth analysis of how the novel's themes and characters relate to fear, as well as a more structured and organized presentation of its arguments. Additionally, more comprehensive explanations of the philosophical concepts mentioned would make the analysis more informative and engaging.
By
Zaker Hussain
Senior Lecturer philosophy 
School education department Jammu and kashmir 
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Dr. Stanislav Grof: Archetype of FMS-8

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Dr. Stanislav Grof, Psychiatrist and theorist (psychonaut). 

I have recently watched the film https://www.psychedelicassistedtherapysummit.com/thewayofthepsychonaut?kref=2YglctPiB1lF

of which documents Stan Grof's life and career. By the end of the film, it was clear to me, that I had found another basic human archetype of Fear Management System-8, in my integral theory of fear management systems. There have been 'saintly' type figurations I have put in the FMS-8 prior, but now it felt like Grof is a less saintly but authentic type (manifestation) of FMS-8, and a very potent impressive person and life. 

For more information on his work you can look him up (e.g., on Wikipedia) but the above film (and book?) "Way of the Psychonaut" is a really good overview. 

See Below, my latest simple model of fear management systems (FMSs) that I have been researching and publishing on for probably 15 years or so (e.g., see Fisher, 2010). This diagram shows an evolutionary/developmental arrangement of these FMSs and FMS-8 (Turquoise colored) is depicted (and is extremely rare). 

12253994094?profile=RESIZE_584xNote: It would take a long post and lecture really to do justice to explain this visual model and the theory it represents. 

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Fearstory: A New History of the World

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Okay, just found this new book available (2023) later in Nov. A professor and historian, Robert Peckham, has perhaps written a very interesting book for the study of fear. 

I have called the revisioning of history through the lens of fear (i.., a fearist perspective) the new FEARSTORY that humans need to come to terms with, as that is essential to deepening our understanding and revising our current fear management/education. I order the book by Peckham. And, I'll report my findings on the FM ning soon. 

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by Jun-ichi-Suzki, Hokkaido, Japan
 
Desh Subba is a Nepali-born writer and poet. His self-published book ①"Philosophy of Fearism" depicts fear as a major part of human life. According to him, life is guided and controlled by fear. And we humans are in the age of "FEARMORPHOSIS," which is a combination of "Sisyphus," "Metamorphosis," and "No Exit," and we are making the argument that in society and life various Sisyphuses are pushing a rock. Here again, human is Fear Sisyphus being watched by Panopticons.
②And he keeps writing that "Hell is other people concept is wrong because Hell is himself. Sartre contradicts himself, we can see contradiction between Existence Precedes Essence and Hell is other people."
 
Sartre's literary works that are relevant here include "The Wall'' which depicts the delusion of life as seen from the perspective of a person who is placed in a "death-limit situation'', "No Exit'' which depicts the hell of others, and "The Wall''. In "The Dead Without a Grave," he depicts a person dying after all attempts at justification are invalidated, and expresses the "vomiting nature" of existence through "vomiting."
 
Verification:
①"Philosophy of Fearism" depicts fear as a major part of human life. According to him, life is guided and controlled by fear.
 
This is the first time I've heard the phrase "philosophy of fear." I think this theory was built with a focus on the human "consciousness of fear." This "consciousness" is suitable for things that are "feared." In this case, the "fear" that exists in the outside world is being watched by Panopticons and Metamorphosis, right?
 
First, in existential philosophy, humans are "free''. "Consciousness" is "free" even if circumstances prevent it from being "free." It is impossible for our human "consciousness" to always be "fearful." The "consciousness'' of "fear'' exists as an "object'' of human consciousness in contrast to the "situation'' or "existence within the situation." "Fear'' does not "exist'' in "consciousness.'' The "consciousness of fear'' as a "concept'' "exists'' within humans, and through the act of manifesting it, we create an "image'' of it in the outside world, whether it be in the space in front of us through our eyes or outside the window even behind the eyelids for instance.
 
The fact that humans are free also means that they are trying to transcend their destiny and categories, which "depicts fear as a major part of human life. According to him, life is guided and controlled by fear."
As a matter of fact and as my experience, I do not live my life depending on something called "fear."
In my opinion, the philosophy of fear has its meaning in the real world of North Korea, where Kim Jong Il's dictatorship is in place. There, people are stripped of their humanity and their freedom of action and speech is severely restricted. It is precisely under such circumstances that resistance and revolutionary movements are necessary. I think we need "action'' to overcome the "philosophy of fear'' rather than just analysis. If a talented literary figure in North Korea were to write a literary novel based on the "philosophy of fear," they might be able to create a good work.
Additionally, the same situation applies to those who have been deprived of their freedom due to the killings and oppression of the people in the Tibetan Autonomous Region under China's effective rule.
 
Human beings always use their imagination in their daily lives. Imagination is also "consciousness." I previously talked about the difference between "self-deception" and "lies" and how humans use these two in their lives. And the important thing is that we spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping. This means that sleep resets your daily life. You could call it "oblivion." Also, I think you can understand the importance of dreaming because here again we use the "consciousness'' of "imagination.''
②"Hell is other people concept is wrong because Hell is himself. Sartre contradicts himself, we can see contradiction between Existence Precedes Essence and Hell is other people."
 
Well, let me disproof about "Hell is other people concept is wrong." 
 
Just like myself, the "others" is also a "self-existence''. The "others'' is also an "existence'' whose "existence precedes essence.'' Sartre devotes one of his three books, "Being and Nothingness,'' to "exploring this "existence of the others'' .This is because the world is an aggregation of these "self-existence'', and elucidating the meaning of this human relationship is a feat that traditional "realists'' could not accomplish.
And the meaning of "Hell is other people'' is "Humans always judge their own worth, their existence, and the way their lives should be based on the eyes of others. Hell is the expression of the fact that you cannot escape forever from the gaze and the feeling of being measured by others."
There are such things as "Hell" that has become a reality and "Hell as a concept", so taking these into consideration, if I change the expression, "Hell is also other people'' .
In addition, in Christianity, there is also "Purgatory".
 
Well, in conclusion, Sartre's ontology is not contradictory. Thank you for reading through my attempt to defend Sartre's critique of existential philosophy.
 
[NB: This article is taken from Jean-Paul Sartre Facebook Group. With the permission of Jun-ichi-Suzuki it is re-published.]
 
 
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The Fear Problematique: Fisher's New Book

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A volume in the series: Studies in the Philosophy of Education. Editor(s): John E. Petrovic, The University of Alabama.

In Press 2023 and for sale: Information Age Publishing

The author, with over three decades of focused research on fear and fearlessness and 45 years as an emancipatory educator, argues that philosophy and philosophy of education have missed several great opportunities to help bring about theoretical and meta-perspectival clarity, wisdom, compassion, and practical ways to the sphere of fear management/education (FME) throughout history. FME is not simple, nor a luxury, it is complex. It’s foundational to good curriculum but it requires careful philosophical critique. This book embarks on a unique transdisciplinary understanding of The Fear Problematique and how it can be integrated as a pivotal contextual reference for assessing the ‘best’ way to go in Education today and tomorrow. Educational philosophy is examined and shown to have largely ‘missed the boat’ in terms of responding critically and ethically to the insidious demand of having to truly educate ourselves when we are so scared stiff. Such a state of growing chronic fear, of morphing types of fear, and a culture of fear, ought to be central in shaping a philosophy of fear(ism) for education. The book challenges all leaders, but especially philosophers and educators, to upgrade their own fear imaginary and fear education for the 21st century, a century of terror likely to grow in the cascading global crises.

 CONTENTS

Preface. 

CHAPTER 1: Introduction.

CHAPTER 2: Philosophy and a Fearturn.

CHAPTER 3: Education Philosophy 'Misses the Boat.'

CHAPTER 4: Fear(ism) as Philosophy: A Transformative Paradigm.

CHAPTER 5: Fear Management/Education for the 21st Century.

CHAPTER 6: Fearlessness as Educational Philosophy.

CHAPTER 7: Recommendations.

Glossary. References. Index.

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FEARMORPHOSIS: Analyzed by Philosopher Bert Pursoo

 
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Bert Pursoo, Cebu City
1. One of the endearing themes in many a book or treatise on philosophy is that there is no reality and that life itself as we know it is little more than an illusion- something with which I am yet to come to grips.
2. Desh Subba is a Nepali philosopher and founder of Trans Philosophism and Fearism – an approach that is linked more closely to Eastern than Western philosophy. In his most recent book, Fearmorphosis, the author appears to contribute somewhat to this concept of illusion himself as he believes that without conscious awareness, we neglect to see that we live in a mythical world, largely operating on a vision of segmenting and reductionism, focusing on the smallest particles (while, I imagine the more important issues are left basically untended, perhaps to take care of themselves). In his writings, the author claims to look at things with “two eyes” or perspectives on interpretation and critical analysis. From his “two eyes”, Subba looks at philosophy, language, morality, politics, economics, and the environment
3. The author argues that it is time to excavate and rewrite history, culture, morality, politics, literature, and philosophy through a systematic criticism of Sisyphus, the Panopticon, and the Scapegoat point of view. He criticizes people like Marx, Keynes and other philosophers for inadequately observing human behaviour and contexts. The message in Fearmorphosis is that Fear is the power of all power and that it is a terminator that disposes of all other emotions. Fearmorphosis is another book on the Philosophy of Fear. Basically, the book explores ideas and issues underlying the emotion of fear and how it affects our life in general, but with a non-Western approach. Subba delves into the different types of fear and employs metaphors and allegories effectively.
4. It is not clear how we can excavate or simply rewrite history, seeing how history is cumulative. Culture is not specifically defined; it tends to evolve over a period of time and subject to other socio-economic factors. Morality and ethics, politics, literature and philosophy are under constant revision already, so no major effort appears necessary apart from greater review and analysis.
5. At first glance, Fearmorphosis comes across as being overly nihilistic or maybe skeptical. The author contends and perhaps rightly so, that to reach the mountaintop, we are prepared to subdue, by whatever means, our competitors and enemies, and scapegoat innocent people. The result is that millions become refugees, hapless labourers and disabled by wars, beliefs, egos, needs, desires and the pursuit of happiness. In the end, we scapegoat ourselves as well as Nature.
6. According to Fearmorphosis, it’s all based on fear. Sisyphus as dramatized in the Korean futurist story deals with unexplainable events but with the main theme of preventing an all-destructive war. Fear of the unknown and the unexplained has always presented a major threat to our very consciousness, with a fear that is unmistakably poignant.
7. In the Panopticon, we get to look at the fear that all our actions may be under scrutiny, without our direct knowledge, but we instinctively know. We are suspicious and this generates a different but powerful fear that empowers us to come together and react irrationally, sometimes to our own detriment.
8. Subba considers scapegoating a consuming fear wherein we are consciously aware that we will be forced to assume the blame for the faults and weaknesses of others at our personal detriment. Could such a fear move us to commit immoral or even illegal acts that are likely to backfire on us?
9. In his reference to Das Kapital, Subba is primarily concerned with the efforts we as the worker bees are literally forced to put out while the benefits accrue only to the capitalist elites. It is true that he doesn’t think Communism is the answer yet does not openly support either democracy or capitalism.
9. Metamorphosis examines our evolution on a more personal basis. As we grow, we morph or move from one stage to another acquiring duties and responsibilities. There is here the inherent fear of our concern as to whether we will be able to take care of our family as is to be expected. Are we capable of doing and behaving in a manner that is necessary to maintain the required relationship with our classmates, our workmates, and our club members? How strong is such a fear?
10. While I acknowledge the importance of fear as a motivator, I don’t consider myself a fearist. I am more of a stoic with a general dollop of pragmatism. Nonetheless, the fear of being defeated pushes us to be sufficiently strong in order to repel any attacks from within or without. Fear, does, however, have its negative effects. Fear of failure, for example, can be responsible for remaining stationary, despite the possible benefits to advance. As Caesar told Calpurnia: Cowards die many times before their deaths, but the valiant never taste of death but once.
11. In Fearmorphosis, Subba comes across as something of a sceptical philosopher but also an iconoclast. He wants to impose, or so it seems to me, certain aspects of Eastern philosophy and/or mysticism into the realm of Western thinking, through a greater degree of critical analysis, to the extent of reviewing even our most cherished views from the ancient Greeks to Camus, Hume, Sartre, Descartes, Bacon, Locke, et al.. What lends power to Desh Subba’s writing is the fact that a lot of his observations derives from personal experience
09/10/2023
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What you see above is some of the major points of which Marianne Williamson is running her presidential campaign 2024 (as Dem.) in terms of a Department of Children & Youth and her stated priority to be "mothers and children" in America, as extremely important foundations for a healthy society. I don't disagree. However, you may note that Williamson's platform is not listing that there should be a good quality "fear education" --nope, she is rather talking about all children getting "mindfulness training in schools"--and, this is very short-sighted, although it sounds good at first pass. Also, the caring interest in trauma is there. But truly MW has not thought deeply enough to see that at the base of the problem is a Fear Problem, a "culture of fear" which is the meta-context for all the things she wants to fix about mothering, child rearing and care, etc. Sorry, MW needs a fearanalyst (and educator) on her staff team really quickly. 

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I posted this 5 years ago, as one of my critiques of where Higher Education is going as a 'marketplace' where education and "looking good" are combined into a toothless cowardice of conformism--colorism, you name it! The fear of not fitting in is huge in the domain of higher education. I constructed this college very quickly from finding photos in higher education from one large booklet from one university and college website in the USA. This is the 'look' and this is the 'happy happy' face that is representing post-secondary education in this continent. Where is the disagreement, looks of discontent with the status quo, where is critical skepticism of the intellectual mind? Instead, the higher education institutions higher advertising firms who only know 'what sells' (apparently)-- and it is cute young women with big white teeth and smiles--as if we are selling a factory of dental assistants for the new generations to come. Really bad stuff going on here and so contradictory to the Diversity and Inclusion theme that runs through liberal higher education factories...but in the end they are marketing this subtle and not so subtle fear-based conformity to belong and be happy with. A fear of dissent! 

 

 

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My Latest Teaching Gig: Fear & Humanity

Hi All, 

FYI: Just wanted to share the good news that I have just had confirmation that my new 6 wk course at Vancouver Island University, Elder's College program, has 10 registered students (over 50 yrs. of age) and we're going ahead with it next wk. That's exciting and going to be a good way to meet new people and share thoughts and feelings about where our world is going and where we might be able to turn it around (even a little). Title of course and description below: 

Understanding Fear And Its Effects On Humanity

This is an introductory course on the nature and role of fear, individually and collectively. In the last three decades, especially since 9/11, fear has, for various reasons, become a growing topic of major concern in several academic disciplines, operations of democracy and governance and in its uses in business, advertising and popular culture. Explore your personal relationship to fear, the importance of multiple perspectives, critique the normal socialization and the culture of fear.

ELDL 060 F23W70       6 sessions: Thu, Sep 14-Oct 19; 10:00-11:30am

Instructor:                   Michael Fisher

Location:                     Online 

R. Michael Fisher, PhD, is a retired educator who has focused on the impact of psychological, cultural, political, and philosophical issues on education, and how it often fails to emancipate us from the oppressions that hurt us. He is also an author of over 200 articles, has published 15 books, and is a popular teacher on YouTube. Michael has taught adult education for over 45 years, spent several years as a school teacher, and has been involved in youth and family rehabilitation work. Michael's research has focused on the phenomenon of fear and fearlessness since late 1989, and he refers to himself as a ‘fearologist’.

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This slide comes from a short presentation by the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt recently, who is going around and speaking about the problem of Gen Z kids becoming young adults. Especially, of concern, a lot of data shows that children born in 1995 or so, and heavily invested with computer technology in hand, have tended to become more and more "fragile" (aka mean, more and more scared of everything). The technology and the culture, according to Haidt (speaking about the W. modern world) is become enmeshed in unhealthy behaviors and mind-sets and values controlled by 'safety and security' needs beyond all else in terms of priorities. It is horribly impacting a negative socialization experience and it is comprising a healthy robust sociality in general. Our modern societies are really feeling the fall out of this post-1995 (especially) era. 

I would call this the "culture of fear" and "pedagogy of fear" (of the toxic kind) that has intruded. The chart above is what Haidt's research summarizes as the outcome of this kind of socialization and pedagogy, and it is identified as cognitive pathologies (by any other name). Btw. Haidt and contemporary social psychologists he agrees with are not the only ones to point to these patterns of rather dysfunctional cognitive traits. Abraham Maslow (1966) listed some 21 cognitive pathologies (or what he called then "deficit-based" motivational cognitive behaviors and strategies).... I can say more about Maslow's work if you want. But for now, you may want to listen to Haidt in this short summary talk that Dr. Arie Kizel sent me today: 

Note: I don't agree with a lot of Haidt's conclusions (or his orienting perspective) but I also think he speaks of a lot of good points too. 

 

Reference:  Maslow, A. (1966). The psychology of science: A reconnaisasance. NY: Harper & Row.  

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------------------------------------  ***** ___________________________________________________________

I mean sometimes amongst the millions of words I have written, spoken and published, I say something not too bad--even a little extraordinary, if I do say so myself. 

The above paragraph comes from a preview (galley proof) of a book soon to be published this autumn [1]. Thought, to share it, as I came across it this morning as part of my reviewing the edits for this book and the many errors I make, even when I think I have been so careful. It's humbling. 

Anyways, back to this text above...there's a lot to consider there. I'm always glad to hear what other's think. 

 

End Note: 

1. Fisher, R. M. (2023). The Fear Problematique: Role of philosophy of education in speaking truths to powers in a culture of fear. IAP. 

 

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Here is my latest FearTalk in the series I started some 4 years ago, whereby I wanted to have the most honest conversations possible with people I knew, or don't know that well, and merely talk live and unedited on the topic of fear. Here is the link to this recent video on my Youtube Channel 

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