In a word: fear.

All fear is based in lies. Lies cannot stand in the face of truth.

The fear we hold, the lies we hold, these are the trappings of an artificial sense of security.

From the perspective of the truth-teller, the message is “fear not, there is no need.”

From the perspective of the fear-holder, the message is “you are paranoid, your self-preservation is delusion.”

We are explicitly taught, from birth, that to live without fear is to live a short and painful life. To move past the need for fear is to restructure your entire worldview, as well as to admit your own gullibility.

In the words of Frank Herbert: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

“Only I will remain.” To be alone with yourself is an awesome and potentially terrifying experience. There is great power in knowing yourself. And with great power comes great responsibility. To move past the need for the self-imposed limitations of the lies we wrap ourselves in is to step fully into our power, and into the realms of limitless possibility. We all understand, at some level, that this leaves no room for blame, and to blame is to absolve the self of responsibility.

Fear truly is the mind-killer. We are, each of us, capable of astounding levels of self-delusion in the name of supporting our fears.