But back to #fear itself. What is the thing feared, if it's not a definite object? It seems sensible to conclude that it's the Future that is feared, if there's no better explanation. #Time and the abstractions of time are like the underlying foundation of how human beings (at least, those inculcated in "Western" society, like myself) tend to gauge one circumstance or possibility over another.

I—or rather we of the Pnictogen Wing—are confronted at all times, like everyone else who's living in time, with the necessity of choosing between actions that will have different consequences for the Future. Will this decision lead to a happier Future or a miserable one? If one has confidence, i.e. if one is fairly certain that a particular line of decisions is optimal for maximizing the probability of future happiness, then decisions are easy. But if one isn't sure about the consequences of any potential decision, then the stage is set for fear. One's mind goes in circles, unable to decide upon any action, and as time goes on without decisive action the fear builds.

Or one might feel as though every possibility is clearly disastrous. Zugzwang, they call that in #chess.