Why do we fear the unknown?

Last night, my I sat on the couch and my son looked at me and said, “you have an animal in your hair.”

Excuse me, WHAT?

He didn’t want to touch it because he “wasn’t sure what it was.”

I’m sorry…WHAT?  You tell me that I have an animal in my hair and yet you want to leave it there?

Of course, I quickly, briskly ran my hands through my hair.  Tossed and turned those tresses every which way.  The unknown animal is still unknown and we never saw it.  Yet, I have had creeps throughout the next day thinking about the even.

So, why do we fear what we don’t know?  And what makes it unknown or unknown enough to fear?

An unknown animal in my hair…I’m creeped out!  Now, I know that in all likelihood it would not cause me harm.  But it’s not an insect but an animal?  Certainly leaves room for speculation.

By contrast, I traveled to the Jordan and got into a car with an unknown driver and traveled to the city of Petra alone…and relatively unplanned.  In that case, I was far less creeped out.  The country was relatively familiar and I assumed safety based on past experience.  Still unknown what was the difference?

In the case of the trip, I had adventure and the potential for excitement on my side.  In the case of the animal, there was nothing exciting.  Zero!

So unknown + potential for fun = excitement

unknown with nothing added = fear

What parameters can you add to the things you encounter that you don’t know about?

Move beyond the fear.

Saying yes to what is possible beyond the known.  Say yes to wonder.  Say yes to excitement.