Friday, April 9, 2010

I'm a Scaredy Cat

I have to admit it, I'm a scaredy cat. I don't mean that in some figurative sense--I mean it literally. I am easily scared. If my human companions do anything that is slightly unusual I go running and hide under the comforter on their bed. And then I will stay there for hours, huddled in the darkness, waiting for monsters to attack me. But they never do.

Last Sunday while I was hiding (and sweating my butt off) I started wondering why I do this. I really haven't come up with an answer, but I suspect that I need to get over this. I really get nothing accomplished while I am hiding, not that I ever truly accomplish much. But I certainly can't be looking out the window at birds or beg for food in I am cowering under the comforter.

I once heard someone say that fear can be thought of as False Expectations Appearing Real. This makes some sense to me, because I keep expecting monsters to attack, but they never do. I have an expectation that never materializes, and yet I keep acting as if it does.

So how does one overcome fear? I think that one must look at the facts and judge them for what they are, rather than cling to false perceptions. This could be rather difficult for me, since I do not possess volition and my reactions are automatic, rather than the result of a careful consideration of my observations. However, given the fact that I am able to even consider this issue, let alone write a blog post about it, does give me some hope that I can overcome this little problem of mine.

These might appear to be pretty deep thoughts for a cat, and perhaps they are. But as you might have concluded, I am not your average cat. I am one of the philosophical cats.

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