As I was growing up, I had many fears. They were alien in nature and always kept me from moving forward with my life. Eventually, overtime, and with the help of cult heroes like Richard B. Riddick (click the yellow links to see a cool feature), I outgrew my fears. I think Riddick could help you too.
Who is Riddick?
He is a Furyan, protagonist, and anti-hero of the film and game series, “Chronicles of Riddick“. Equipped with a deadly form of Kali for self-defense, Riddick cares only about his own survival, yet still manages to do good – usually indirectly (for those he has encounters with). Though he may be motivated by selfish needs, he is the last of his kind and has an iron-will attached to a strong and courageous heart, which makes him likable. As hard as he tries to detach from people, this lone wolf can never stay alone for too long.
Why do I think he is great?
Ever since I heard his low, steely voice in his first film, Pitch Black, I’ve been fascinated by his:
- independence
- determination
- silent confidence
- stealth
- adaptability
- endurance and
- most importantly, his fearlessness.
These are all traits I relate to, and I seek to develop them in myself to the best of my abilities. As a Leo born in the Year of the Tiger (a double fire sign), I feel the need to embody fearlessness and courage.
Of course, Riddick is not without his faults, yet I feel his character has a lot to teach in terms of facing one’s fears. Riddick doesn’t just face fears, though, he admires, acknowledges and then embraces them as a challenge.
Stare fear square in the face.
One scene I love (from Pitch Black) is where Riddick comes across an alien and faces it square in the face. It’s a literal representation of facing up to a common type of fear – in this case, an alien creature that lurks in the dark.
Figure1. http://www.sciflicks.com/pitch_black/images/pitch_black_16.html
Earlier I said my past fears were like aliens. I felt that they were predatory and constantly watched me from a distance. I have often felt them sniffing too close to home; that place where my shadow and heel meet. (I believe ignored issues always have a tendency to return when you least expect it or when they are least appreciated.)
Finally, I woke up to my fears’ presence and I made it my goal to confront them, by tackling them head on. By doing this, I was finally able to move forward without worrying about them lurking in the dark behind me.
Embrace the fear.
Darkness is not something to be fearful of. My character example in this article, Riddick, utilizes darkness to his advantage; it’s the one thing most people seem to fear. In his words, “Darkness is where I shine.” In a world where good and bad are relative truths, I believe it’s important to respect both light and dark for what they are. For in darkness, light can sometimes be your enemy, and not your friend.
What can we learn from Riddick?
Although I didn’t know it at the time, Riddick had a lasting impression on me. His influence taught me how to remain cool, calm, and collected in the face of fear. Now, at this point in my life, the following quote bears much more weight for me, than it did in the past,
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Only when you face your fears can you truly understand what Roosevelt was talking about.
As a final word to you all, go out, and start facing your fears as I have done through Riddick’s inspiration, because fear is no man’s friend.
I would be very interested to hear if you have confronted your fears and what helped you overcome them? Please leave your comments below.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post. I also love Riddick, the concept of one man, if not the only man in the nearby universe, that can destroy the destroyers. Goes to show that those things that we try and erradicate from the face of our Earth – including the horrible genocides of time – may have actually been destroying some of our only saviours.
You can take it further and consider endangered species. For example, in the local paper the other day in Australia it has been discovered that a sea snail may hold the key to future generations of pain relief …what if they were to go the same way as green tree frogs and honey bees?
We must believe that there are saviours in minority groups of humans and all living beings – not excluding the plant and animal kingdoms.
George, you have a bracket in the link above that leads to an invalid url.
Hey too cool. I just checked out some of your Vimeo vids. Especially like the cool MJ moves
Hi Somone, thanks for the response! I completely agree with you on the minority issue. You've actually summed up one of my goals, which is to bring out the stories/myths/folktales of smaller nations into the world of animation/games, perfectly! If you haven't checked out my portfolio site ( http://siosism.com ) yet, you'll find that the last two years of animation work have been based on my "Tales from Nanumea" series. If you'd like to know more, just ask away! Thanks again Somone. Look forward to hearing more from you and Timberwolf!
Everybody wants to be fearless. Maybe only up to some extent that you can still manage to be a good person. But, it's still impossible cause each one of us has weaknesses too.
hi Nikky,
Thanks for your reply! I agree that everyone has weaknesses but, in my opinion, that has nothing to do with being fearless. Fearlessness is also courage and, in many cases of courage, involves pushing forward despite one’s own inhibitions or shortcomings. Fearlessness takes practice and is not easy – if it were, everyone would be doing it. It is certainly silly when it involves being reckless and/or irresponsible but, with discipline, I believe this fearlessness to be that much greater.
So, I thank you for your input because I feel that the part about self-discipline, and responsibility, is certainly key to being fearless. Would you like to see that included in the article?