Stockdale on Stoicism 21

Fear is an emotion, and controlling your emotions can be empowering. 

I think I have mentioned all the things that the Stoics thought were truly "in our power," within the realm of our moral purpose, under the control of our free will, save one category. It requires a little different thinking, so I've saved it for last. I have introduced it already, in part. 

The Stoics believed that all human emotions are acts of will. You're happy because you want to be happy, you're drained or sad when you want to be sad, and fear is not something that danger forces on you. When you find yourself afraid, it's time to realize that you decided, wanted, willed that you fear. 

As I said above, without your having fear, nobody can meaningfully threaten you. In Discourses, there is a dialogue something like this, and it was like old home week to me: 

"When questioned, I had to give him our escape plans; he threatened me with death; I was compelled, I had no choice. . . ."

"That's not right; you had a choice and you made it. It may have been justified, I won't judge that for now. But be honest with yourself. Don't say you had to do anything just because you are threatened with death. You simply decided it was better to comply. It was your will that compelled you. Refuse to want to fear and you start acquiring a constancy of character that makes it impossible for another to do you wrong. Threats have no effect unless you fear." 

Epictetus says: "Will you then realize that this epitome of all the ills that befall man, of his ignoble spirit, of his cowardice, is not death, but rather his fear of death?"

—from James B. Stockdale, The Stoic Warrior's Triad 

IMAGE: Francisco de Goya, Folly of Fear (c. 1816)