This quote has led me to reflect on the relationship between fear and desire. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

When faced with a potentially perilous situation, we are hyper aware of all risks. This is deep rooted in instincts developed from our days as hunter-gatherers, where it was crucial to survival to be acutely aware of all threats. However, in modern times, this instinct has permeated much of the rest of our decision making. Fear of judgement and embarrassment is sometimes perceived by our bodies as a threat on the same level as another which may be lethal. As a result, we often hold ourselves back, as we are unwilling to step outside of the norms and take risks. We often sell ourselves short and put restraints and limits upon ourselves.

Inversely, when truly passionate about a dream or goal, we can find ourselves taking unmitigated risks and stepping over limitations we had previously set for ourselves. This is because the reward outweighs the risk. We develop tunnel vision, focused only on the end goal, blowing through any obstacles in our way. After looking into this, I’ve found it is called ‘optimism bias’.

Temperance and wisdom are key in the relationship between these two opposites. We must not be pinned down by fear, yet we must keep a healthy amount of fear in our backpocket. We must understand the risks in each scenario, and when to go full steam ahead, disregarding the risks. That is where wisdom comes into play. When reflecting upon yourself, consider your balance between these two sides as well.