Fear of Man

To what extent are you willing to stand up for what you believe in? What are the forces that prevent some people from doing what they believe is right?  The fear of how others will react is often times a huge factor in how people act.  The fear of the consequences of our choices is another.  It is normal to desire the acceptance of others.  Peer pressure is a huge influence in the behavior of young and old alike.  People are influenced in how they dress, how they act, and even how they think.  It is normal to take into consideration the feelings of others when making decisions.  But should we allow the opinions of others to make us do something we feel to be wrong?  Everything we do in life has the potential for both good and bad consequences.  Is a particular belief important enough to act upon regardless of the consequences?  Would you be able to take a particular course of action if you knew the consequences would be unfavorable?  Would you do what you felt to be right event if it meant going to jail?  Or, would you even die for what you believed?

In the short story “On the Rainy River” the author Tim O’Brien documents a decision he had to face.  He tells about how he was opposed to the Vietnam War.  He felt to the core of his being that this particular war was wrong. He was drafted to go fight in the war.  At first he does nothing.  He just works and caries on with life like nothing had changed.  Then he attempts to flee to Canada to escape from going to war.  He gets as far as a small lodge at the border where he stops to rest.  Hear he struggles with his decision to flee.  He is concerned about his image.  He doesn’t want others to look down on him for being a coward or a traitor.  He is also afraid of being caught and facing the law.  The turmoil inside of him is so strong it makes him physically ill.  He is out in a fishing boat on the Canada border and his escape is within his reach.  He breaks down crying.  He can’t bring himself to go through with escaping.  He ends up fighting in the war.  In the end though he admits his greatest shame, his true cowardice, was in going to war.  He was too afraid of others to stand up for what he believed in.  


Sources: 
"war1." Web. 26 Sep 2010. 
     < http://digitalseance.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/war1.gif >
"The Things They Carried." Amazon. Web. 26 Sep 2010.