Great to see topics like this on Steemit.
I think you are spot on about fear. But what is that fear of?? More than just fear of the unknown, I think this has a lot to do with fear of our own identities being challenged, our own values brought into question.
We get so attached to our beliefs and our values, that we can sometimes mistake them for parts of ourselves. Letting go of long held beliefs can sometimes feel like a bit of yourself is dying.
Who am I now that I'm no longer a vegetarian?! Am I even Jason?? Who am I if I change my political affiliation? Who am I if literally every piece of me can be changed? It's hard for the ego to stomach the implications.
I agree with this completely. Fear of changing your identity, fear of your beliefs and values being wrong, etc are very powerful. I would, however, suggest that these things all fall under the umbrella of fear of the unknown. Who are you if you change your identity? That's an unknown. What happens if your beliefs and values are wrong? What changes will that bring? What should you believe instead? Unknowns. It's scary.
This is why conservative religion is so powerful. It gives you a set of concrete values to subscribe to, to hold on to, so you don't need to ask difficult questions with unknown answers.
And at the same time - having a certain amount of structure and certainty is what allows us to act and achieve.
True!