Fear and the Creative Dilemma
Published on SepĀ 3, 2015 (updated AprĀ 3, 2024), filed under philosophy (feed). (Share this on Mastodon orĀ Bluesky?)
In the Seth school of thought thereās an interesting issue, the creative dilemma.Ā * In short, thereās identity which constantly attempts to maintain stability, thereās action which inherently drives towards change, and that combination results in a particular imbalance: consciousness of self. The dilemma, specifically, is that though identity seeks stability, it would not exist without change.Ā ā
Fear, then, is also interesting, for itās directed towards the future and change in the future, covering what, in the time model, hasnāt happened yet. Fear has a tendency to stall, not to changeāeven if change may be exactly what we need to avert actual dangers. And so fear, benefiting the status quo, seems to represent identity in the creative dilemma, trying to maintain stability.
What we may now observe is a pairing full of tension, tension we cannotāI cannotāyet comprehend: identityās goal of stability mapping to fear, and actionās drive towards change apparently mapping to desire.
That pairing, already linked to the force to make consciousness, now turns into a formidable blend to be quite at the core of our existence. And I donāt know anymore what to do here.
In the final review of this post Iāve noticed that fear and desire, as opposites, could also be seen as changing roles: fear may solicit stability and desire seek change as described, but fear may also seek change and desire solicit stability. I want to think about this with you.
* Seth actually referred to three creative dilemmas, which Iām somewhat merging into one for simplicity.
ā It gets better. āConsciousness, therefore, is not a āthingā in itself. It is a dimension of action, an almost miraculous state.ā A pointer for more studies.
About Me
Iām Jens (long: Jens Oliver Meiert), and Iām a web developer, manager, and author. Iāve been working as a technical lead and engineering manager for small and large enterprises, Iām an occasional contributor to web standards (like HTML, CSS, WCAG), and I write and review books for OāReilly and Frontend Dogma.
I love trying things, not only in web development and engineering management, but also in other areas like philosophy. Here on meiert.com I share some of my experiences and views. (I value you being critical, interpreting charitably, and giving feedback.)