Giving something up...

[Obsidian]

I have a question that occured to me a few moments ago while replying to another thread.

It was this: of all the things in this life that I have experienced, there are only a few I would give up on exept under very unique circumstances.

But one thing I did let go of, and have been happier without, is fear.
Fear of what exactly? Death? Thats a biggie, but yes. Fear of pain? Well, not entirly, that is sort of hard wired in. Fear of losing my home, possessions, friends... utterly.

I have nothing to be afraid of and feel wonderfull because of it.
But let me be clear here - not fearing death does NOT mean i am going to walk under a bus! I can RESPECT it. But when the time comes, and the reaper puts his hand on my shoulder? I will go peacefully to my next life.
I dont stick my hands in dumb places, nor attack bee nests with my face, because pain HURTS.
But I am not afraid to repair faulty wiring, or move a bee nest. If I am careful, there should be nothing TO fear. And if i am careless... Well now, is that a bony footstep i hear?
Monetary fears seem to be the greatest people have. And truly, everyone has a lot to lose, no matter how little they have.
But in the worst case scenario... I can work, I can replace what i lose through carelessness, given time. Friends of course are irreplaceable, but there are always more people out there.
(And by losing them, I dont mean via being an asshole to them, or them dying. But through them maybe not being good friends to begin with, or natural drifting apart)
Good friends of course can never be lost, no matter what. No there is no reason to fear losing them.

Since I gave up being afraid, the dark is welcoming, the new thrilling, and the dangerous... something to be cautious of, in awe of, and admiring of.

And my question at long last?

What emotion have you given up on? And how has it affected your life?

[Namhias]

Fear is necessary, it has evolved during the course of hundreds of years and it has evolved for a reason. Same goes for almost any emotion. Fear shouldn't be switched off, rather, you should listen to it, it warns you from all kinds of dangers.

I haven't given up on any emotion, although I'm trying not to get angry, ever. I guess I could always be more successful...

[Hyraxylos]

The price of my training was that I had to sacrifice one of my emotions irretrievably. I protested this loudly before thinking it out and am very glad now to be rid of the ability to hate living things.

I considered fear at first, but my greatest fears pertain to the harm that could befall someone important to me. Without that, I'd lose a tremendous source of strength crucial to helping others.
Hate, by contrast, doesn't bring any positives to the equation. To my knowledge, only humans feel it and I'm not aware of any solution hate has provided to problems that weren't originally started by hate in the first place.
The only downside to the sacrifice was that it left a gap in me that anger tried to fill in. (which would explain a lot of my posts in the old days, wouldn't it?) With some more soul-searching however, I was able to substitute with reason instead, an emotion that's seldom led me wrong. I do still sometimes let my temper get the better of me but I think I'm improving over time.
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The statement above this one is true.
This statement is false.

[Syrobe]

I haven't given up on any emotion, as a matter of fact, I'm still exploring the well of emotions and during that proces I've discoverd new ones like tenderness and rage. I both welcome them into my life (although the way I handle those emotions isn't always the best...so that part needs studying harder...but I'm sure I will learn to handle them well in time).

Fear is a very usefull emotion: it can prevent you being harmed and it can show you that there is something going on under the surface of a thing. Some believe you should allways face your fears, because that will let you grow. I think it is true. Your fears will show you some of your inner parts.

To me, emotions all are worth having, handling them is the thing one needs to learn, not only for himself but also for others.
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- power is gained through wisdom -

[Roark]

Things I have given up on. I don’t know if I have anything I’ve given up.
It would possibly the ability to cry, I have not cried since the day Auroara
Came to me, this was because I learned early in life that crying solves very little.
Crying only brought me more pain. Most of the time. I lack the ability to let people in.
Now because of other people here on this site. I am learning from each visit how to gain the hope to let others see me for who I am. I have learned from all of you that in order to get where you want to be you have to trust people. That is why I shared Auroara’s existence with everyone here. No one else outside of dragon based forums will know of the existence of Auroara. I share it with you all only because I trust everyone here. I still have to learn how to communicate outside of the internet though, but I feel I can get there if truly want it. Sorry to be so deep, but sometimes this sort of thing comes out and it just has too.
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The blood of that which you beleive run deep within, if you feel this then there is no need to doubt.

[Jasriella]

Just ridding yourself of a certain emotion or feeling such as fear, does not accomplish anything. Without fear, are you brave? Can there be courage without it? No. Its not enough to be able to rid yourself of an emotion, but to be able to manipulate those emotions is the key. To be able to bring forth rage when needed in the heat of battle, to be able to bring forth love and compassion when you have a young one hatch, or to suppress rage and resort to logic and reasoning to avoid a battle, to suppress fear to surmount obstacles. By ridding yourself of an emotion you will leave a void in you that another one will try to fill up, and by doing so hate and anger can fill that void. No, ridding yourself of fear is not enough, you must control it, manipulate it, and convert it to courage and bravery.

That is the way a true dragon lives, and that is how I live.
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I am trapped between heaven and hell. My wings carry me upon the winds. Above lies heaven, below hell. Yet I must land in hell to soar in heaven. I am a Dragon!

[Obsidian]

Hate and anger?

It takes a lot to raise me to those emotions... They are tools, like any emotion, like fear... yes. But tools to be used, or discarded when too dangerous to use.

Do not mistake my meaning - Fear is a chemical response, something humans, and indeed all life on this world evolved to protect themselves with.
A defense mechanism that evolved along with anger and hate, to fuel survival.
Are you merely the product of humans, destined only to produce MORE humans after you? Or do you aspire to be something OTHER than a bag of meat that makes more meat?

Maybe I am slipping backwards, emotionally. Shedding useless baggage along the way.
I feel no fear not because i force myself to be fearless, but simply that i accept bad things happen, and the only way to survive those bad things is to know that they cannot destroy me. My body... perhaps. That is of course tragic when it happens. But me? I will always endure.

All fear is a response to the great dark. To the journey that most cannot, or will not remember.
Face troubles head on, yes, but not blinded by dark emotions. Fear and anger go hand in hand, like gasoline and air, needing only a single spark to bring disaster, leading to hate.

Use intellect, not a chemical reaction brought about by sudden changing circumstances.

The way a true dragon lives... is to do what you will. if that will is to raise 2.4 offspring and live in a bungalow... then that is how a true dragon lives. If you slay innocents, eat raw meat, and live in a sppoky castle on the moors... then that too is how a true dragon lives.
Spending your days wrestling with things you do not need in order to justify the fluttering at the back of your soul... well... if that is how you live, then, I suppose it must be how a 'true' dragon lives as well.
In my case...
I'm just a simple monster at heart <3
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Prey, tell...

[Hyraxylos]