How to Cope with the Boogeyman-fear of a Trump Victory
Finding Our Courage on Halloween
As Halloween approaches, now is the time to remember how to cope with Boogeyman-fear — and then apply that wisdom to preparing ourselves for the 2024 election next week.
One of the worst things about fear is how it paralyzes us. We shut down, lose all our energy, and just want to curl up into a ball. That’s a natural survival instinct in response to danger: fight, flight or freeze. If the threat seems too big, and if there’s nowhere to run, shutting down is the wisest response. If the overwhelming threat is a tiger — maybe it won’t find you if you freeze.
But there’s a difference between “Boogeyman-fear” and real fear. Real fear is sparked by a tiger on the path in front of you. “Boogeyman-fear” is the fear that there might be a tiger in the woods as you walk home through them alone at night.
The reality is, the world is an uncertain place. That’s what makes Boogey-man fear so difficult to distinguish from real fear at times. If you live near a jungle in India where there are tigers, then maybe the fear of the woods is warranted and you should not take that midnight stroll. If fear of tigers keeps you from walking through the streets of Philadelphia — then that’s pure Boogeyman-fear. But, hey, there are risks in walking…
