Is fear a choice? What do you fear and why?

[DeadNotSleeping]

Michael-5 said:

DeadNotSleeping said:

Michael-5 said:

DeadNotSleeping said:

The fear of heights is an adaptive trait.  At some point in your personal history, you have decided that there is benefit to an adverse reaction to heights. Perhaps you have decided that life and limb is more valuable than perceived risk.  The first step is to understand why you have chosen to fear heights so intensely; then perhaps you might understand why you continue to react negatively to it.  Understanding this much, it will be easier to choose otherwise.  This is where practice and instrospection come in. And I cannot teach you how to do that.

Why would I choose to fear heights, then constantly place myself in that position of fear?

Your reasons are your own; I cannot tell you why you make the choices you make.  Not for this or anything else for that matter.  Only you can answer those questions.

Well I can tell you that I don't choose to be afraid. I love roller coasters because I love moving fast, but every single time I want to jump out and walk down because of the height. If you you say about value of life vs. payoff is true, why would I prefer to walk down the roller coaster, vs. just let myself safely fall on the train? Why would I sit on the ledge of a tall apartment just to try and overcome my fear?

Nothing happened to me as a kid which would make me fear heights, it's something I've always been afraid of, for as long as I can remember. Also I find that I'm more fearful of the safer ways to be high (like roller coasters) then the dangerous ones (like bungie jumping or sky diving).

You keep asking me questions that you ought to be asking yourself.  You made your choices, now it is up to you to understand them.  That you continue asking me these questions when I've told you more than once to look within yourself suggests to me an unwillingness on your part to comprehend yourself.  That unwillingness will only impede your progress.  At some point you set the parameters in your mind to respond fearfully when presented with certain stimuli.  Try to understand why you set those parameters where they currently are.  Not one else set them.  You chose to be afraid when those conditions were met just as you choose to confront your fears ineffectively.  Your conviction in trying to choose to no longer fear heights is simply weaker than your certainty to fear them.  But I cannot tell you why that is so, for it is your mind in question.  You made these rules for yourself, not I.  You are the only one answerable to your own free will.