Being fearless is an important quality in the new world. Modern educationists say, “Do not instil any kind of fear in children.” Sensible and understanding parents are making efforts to raise their children to be fearless. Today’s fearless children will build a fearless humanity tomorrow.

The new generation of this new era aspires to live a fearless life founded upon knowledge. As science and knowledge progress, the disappearance of fear is quite natural. At one time, the principle of fear was embedded at the core of many aspects of human life. In those days, people feared one another. The strong were feared by the rest — as though fearing the powerful had become a secret code of practical living. Although some change has occurred in individual lives today, fear still has a strong grip, which becomes evident when we look at global movements. One society fears another, and similarly, attempts to dominate those weaker than itself. The same holds true for nations. Even individuals such as Mussolini and Hitler sought to increase their own prestige by leveraging fear.

One peculiar feature of prestige, social structures, or governance built upon fear is this: those who seek to raise their stature by making others fear them are inwardly gripped by fear themselves. From the view of psychology, those who live by instilling fear are themselves consumed by fear. As weaponry and legal measures increase, so does the empire of fear. For it is the fearful persons must construct forts, castles, and arms for their own defence.

When we observe the increase in arms, we are even more convinced that this “developed” world is not yet free from fear. In fact, while the material world of the modern man differs from that of the primitive man, there is no real change in their mental condition. The primitive man carried an axe or a deadly club on his shoulder for protection; the modern man carries refined weapons in his pocket. The advancement lies in weapons, not in the human being.

Many thinkers today believe that peace and well-being cannot arise from the clamor of weapons. Instead of improving arms, they contemplate how to bring about improvement within the human being. The fundamental intention behind the educational psychologists’ advice — that no kind of fear should be instilled in children — is precisely to bring about this inner human transformation. Hence, it becomes necessary to clarify what exactly is meant by “Do not instill fear in children.”

One objective of this statement is that our children remain mentally fearless. In a world built upon fear and tormented by it every moment, the child must stand fearless, not succumbing to any threat or intimidation. Some people, however, interpret this idea in a narrow sense and use it to serve their own aims. For instance, if their child intimidates other children, they do not see this as harmful. On the contrary, they take pride in it. In fact, in some so-called “educated” communities, children are deliberately taught how to bully others, and how to fearlessly exploit the timidity of others. It is precisely because of this that many bullies arise in society. Their existence is built upon living off others’ fear. And since the same societies also produce timid individuals, both groups become interdependent. Many have witnessed how a bully tends to quiet down upon encountering another bully.

“Keep children fearless” does not mean raising bullies who thrive on others’ fear. That will not bring about true freedom from fear. If we want our children to be truly free of fear, then they must not be cowardly — and equally, they must not become bullies who threaten or oppress others. They must be fearless both inwardly and outwardly. There should be no root of fear within them, nor should they become a source of fear for others. However, this does not mean that fear has no place at all in human life.

In a child’s life, fear has a valuable and beautiful role — one that actually enables the child to overcome fear. That role lies in accepting fear as an object of human enjoyment. It is for this reason that the terrifying or wrathful emotions have a place in literature. This is also why children love adventure stories. Stories that cause the child to feel personally afraid are found unpleasant. But when, despite the appearance of a frightening situation, the hero emerges victorious — and as the danger intensifies, the child becomes aware of the hero’s success — then, even within the fear, the child experiences a kind of enjoyment. Victory achieved through inner strength is joyous, and it significantly helps in developing a fearless disposition, both in children and adults.

On the other hand, when the weakness of inner strength is emphasized — “Look out, or the black dog will take you away” — children are observed to become increasingly timid. This is the core reason why it is advised not to frighten children. “Look out, or the black dog will come” introduces a false cause of fear. Fear can, of course, have natural causes. For example, if a dog or a cow suddenly charges at a child walking down the road, the child will certainly feel afraid. Such causes of fear naturally occur from time to time. But there is a significant difference between the first (false) and the second (natural) type of fear. When the fear is caused by the imagination, the mind is not free to dispel it, and hence it becomes weaker. In contrast, when fear arises from a real, natural event, the mind remains free to find ways of coping with or avoiding it. If one carries a stick or something similar, it becomes possible to defend oneself. Realizing this, the person remains prepared for protection in the future. If such preparedness leads to success in a similar situation later, the person grows increasingly fearless. This process is the same for children and for adults.

Therefore, saying “Do not frighten children” means that we must not create baseless causes of fear — but in addition to that, fear must also be made into a subject of entertainment. Likewise, children should also be allowed to face natural fears by taking the path of courage, to become free from those fears. This too must be remembered.

(First published in Marathi – भयमुक्ती – in Shikshan Patrika, Year 3, Issue 8, January 1936)