“Get out of your comfort zone”
For decades, if not centuries, we might have had the answer to all our life’s problems in the palm of our hands.
Job crisis? “Get out of your comfort zone and try something new.” Unhealthy relationship? “Break up, get out of your comfort zone, and move on.” World peace? “You have a voice like everyone else…just get out of your comfort zone. Speak up”
Okay, maybe world peace is a little harder to attain.
The point merely being, whenever things become harder or we begin to dislike something a little bit more, we’re told to change it, or to change ourselves. But how does one really do that? How do we, as a society, get out of our larger comfort zone, and is it really that simple?
Over the course of the four weeks we’ve been in university (so you know I’m clearly saying this with so much experience), I’ve been able to conclude one thing from all the lectures and discussions: our world feeds off of the idea of fear, and thus we are confined within ourselves, with ideals and restrictions implemented against each other in the process.
In simpler words: we aren’t living to our truest potential, and in turn we fuel an animosity towards one another.
Scientifically, fear derives from multiple peripheral areas in the brain. Fear is created with a stimulus in the thalamus and ends with a ‘fight or flight’ response in the hypothalamus. Our brain’s amygdala automatically tries to decode emotions and determine possible threats from external influences, while recording our feelings, likes, and dislikes in our memory bank. (Layton, Julia “How Fear Works” 2005)
So can we blame ourselves for being the way we are?
Yes.
‘We are seen as ‘free’ and ‘righteous’ citizens by law, but are easily influenced and lack cumulative rationality, thus taking away the entire version of freedom we believe we have.’ (Dhawan, 2017)
As we’ve discussed in ASTU over the course of the last few weeks, there are no more ‘original ideas’, but simply ideas we create through pre-existent concepts. We find new ways to write the same things, and we build upon our own intelligence to expand and create new information. But what happens when we can no longer do so? This is where fear kicks in. We strive for perfection and innovation, when truly, we have enough to mend first. We turn to influential devices and people in times of crisis. Anyone or anything that stands against the general social conformity, becomes an idol to the general public. This is how history is made, and people in history are remembered.
Donald Trump, sets out to be the best example today. Although a lot of what he says seems derogatory and obnoxious, his willingness to step out of norm, gains him popularity (good and bad) internationally.
To tie into another discussion from ASTU, our ‘freedom’ that we have, allows us to have an opinion or bias. This is the only thing that really differentiates us, one from another. Fox News and CNN monopolize the news market in the United States, and in turn influence the public decisions during elections, and later in their morals. Age-old stigmas of racism, have been brought back around with Donald Trump’s election and his persistence for a built-wall and a Muslim Ban. This exemplifies the “Melting Pot’s” underlying fear for diversity, induced with a bit of courage from Trump.
So what does that really say?
We’re scared of the truth. We were brought up the same way we will continue to be, until we “step out of our comfort zone” and quit obligating ourselves to following ruthlessly.
-Ashi Dhawan
Reference:
Julia Layton “How Fear Works” 13 September 2005.
HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/emotions/fear.htm> 27 September 2017