THE philosophy of this book is that your fears in life create a kind of prison that confines you within its limited range of action. Thus the less you fear, the more power you get and the more fully you are able to live.
Talking of the ancient era, the author says that in the beginning fear was a basic simple emotion against natural disaster. Civilisation depended on the ability to foresee and forestall dangers from the environment. Out of fear they developed religion and various belief systems that we see today. Over time, the actual terrors began to lessen in intensity with increasing control over the environment, but the fears began to multiply in number in other areas. We began to worry about our status in society, what people would say or think about us, our livelihoods, future of the family, one’s health and the process of aging. This fear took the form of generalised anxiety. In the 19th century with the development of advertising and journalism the focus shifted to latest health scare, new crime waves, social faux pas, hazards in the environment and what not.
Today in the 21st century, advances in technology; have opened up new opportunities, old business models are dissolving, innovations are creeping and sweeping changes and revolution can be witnessed elsewhere. We now face new challenges; the world has become more competitive and the determining factor is our attitude.
Fear creates its own self-fulfilling dynamic with people losing energy and momentum. The author cites two ways of dealing with two types of fear – passive and active.
This law is rather simple – when you transgress this fundamental law by bringing in your usual fears in any encounter, you narrow your options and your capacity to share events. Your fears can take you into a negative world where your powers are reversed. By observing the 50th Law, you create the “opposite dynamic” – it opens possibilities, brings freedom of action and helps create a forward momentum in life.
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