Analysis and Types of Fear

Irrational fear vs. expansive fear.

To manage the paralysis that accompanies impostor syndrome, it is useful to draw on linguistic distinctions that allow us to categorize our internal experience.

In ancient traditions, two fundamental types of fear are distinguished: Pachad and Yirah.

The first, Pachad, refers to projected or imagined fear; it is the irrational terror of the "worst case scenario" that our mind fabricates.

This is the fear of the impostor: the exaggerated worry about a future catastrophe (being discovered, being fired) that paralyzes action.

On the other hand, there is Yirah, which translates as reverential fear or awe.

This fear arises when we suddenly find ourselves inhabiting a larger space than we are used to or when we possess more energy than usual.

Feeling Yirah is not a sign of danger, but an indicator that we are stepping onto "sacred ground" of growth and expansion.

Learning to differentiate whether what you are feeling is panic at an unrealistic threat or the natural vertigo of growing is fundamental to avoid backing away from valuable opportunities.

The hidden message of emotion

We tend to label fear as a negative emotion that must be eradicated, but this view is counterproductive.

All emotions, including fear, carry a message and predispose us to action.

Fear signals that we perceive a threat of loss to something we value (our reputation, our job) and that, at that moment, we interpret that we do not have sufficient resources to meet the challenge successfully.

Instead of covering up this signal or letting it dominate us, we should use it as a control board: Is it a real warning signal (lack of technical preparation) or a false alarm of the ego?

Fear always contains an invitation to better prepare ourselves or to review our resources, not necessarily to flee.

By asking ourselves "what is this fear telling me?", we move from being victims of emotion to being analysts of our own psyche.

Courage as an action, not a feeling.

A common mistake is to believe that in order to act courageously we must first stop feeling fear.

However, the working definition of courage is the ability to take action despite feeling fear.

We all feel fear; the difference between those who move forward and those who stagnate is not the absence of this emotion, but the decision not to let it dictate behavior.

If we wait until we feel "ready" or "fearless" to take an initiative, we co