To be outside the group is to die. This is what our ancestors learned, back before they were walking upright. Those who were different were cast out or turned against for they were seen as a threat to the group. Herd mentality guided everything: our actions & words, our beliefs & values, and especially our fears. Just go along with the group, no matter what. Stay quiet, nod your head, smile, and you’ll be okay.

That may have worked fine for our ancestors who behaved closer to animals than to humans, but we have evolved. While our minds now have the capability to critically think, we as a society have not exactly encouraged this new feature. And we are seeing the catastrophic consequences as a result.

Heard Mentality is Based In Fear

We are in the midst of one of the most horrendous events in human history repeating itself. What were once shocking views that couldn’t be uttered in social gatherings without turning the air sour, are now posted about proudly in social media, worn callously across shirts, even boldly marched through city streets as though it were 1933. The Holocaust was meant to be a turning point in history, not a dog-ear to be referenced in the future. White Supremacy was something we were meant to have outgrown, not a team sport in need of revival. And it they are on the rise. This blind herd mentality is only gaining traction as misinformation spreads and division is sewn, which only increases fear and anxiety, further enhancing this mentality.

How is this happening? Why is this happening? And why, despite my urge to stand for justice, is it even hard for me to speak out? Why has it gotten harder, when I have more to say now than ever? Why am I silent when I am screaming inside?

Because we’ve been told that to stand apart from the group is to die. So even when we know that the group we are dividing ourselves from by speaking out against is in the wrong, we fear the repercussions. And that fear is biological. There is nothing I will be able to do about my fear of speaking out against tyranny, sexism, racism, abuse, and blatant murder. Except to understand my fear and speak out anyway, knowing that my voice scares them even more.

Fear Should Make Us Loud

Fear has always been meant to keep us safe, but it was never meant to keep us in a cage. Fear was meant to keep us smart, not to keep us dumb. Fear was meant to make us strong, not to make us weak. Fear was to help us recognize and call out wrong, not help us hide from it. Fear was ALWAYS meant to make us courageous, not to make us cowards.

For the courageous feel the fear and do it anyway. The cowardly feel the fear and run away or never try. Fear is an opportunity; to challenge yourself and others, to replace old limiting beliefs, to prove to yourself you’re capable and you matter. Fear ought to be the fuel for a better world, not the poison we all drink to numb the pain. And it could be. Fear could be our can of spinach that we devour when all feels lost, it could be the whetstone we sharpen our swords with, it could be the fire under our heels that keep us moving forward. Fear could open my mouth, instead of close it.

And so I will write, I will speak, I will post, I will protest, and I will feel the fear through it all. I will feel my biological fear of judgment while celebrating my biological urge to protect myself and others through my voice. I will feel the fear of being an outcast in some circles while I excitedly discover the supportive circles I do belong in. I will feel the fear of trolls, of alpha asshats, and even family attacks while knowing that it is they who actually fear me. I will feel the fear and do it anyway.

And I urge you to do the same. In a time when our world feels the most chaotic, when we feel like Alice having gone through the looking glass, we must remember to be brave. For this misunderstanding of fear is how the opposition wins. The villain always thinks they have won when the hero is tired, fearful, and wounded. But without fail, the hero always goes in for another attack. The sword never stops swinging. The wand never stops firing. A new arrow is always being released. And most of all, the shield never lowers- especially when it’s protecting someone else. Heroes fight despite the fear. Heroes win because of the fear.

Heroes Win Because of Fear

As childish billionaires swing chainsaws and laugh at the decimation of our democracy, now is not the time to be silent. The world is in need of heroes in every household and it doesn’t take much to be one. It simply requires bravery. Bravery to disagree with family and friends; bravery to stand up to injustice in all forms; bravery to protect others from arrows even when you may get hit yourself. For there are more important things for us to worry about than fear. We have much bigger dragons to slay. Dragons with names like White Supremacy, Patriarchy, Fascism, and Misinformation. There is simply no time to let our fears rule us.

If we let our fear control us now, it will control the entire world and be the end of humanity. Sound drastic? If you’ve been paying attention to the state of the world in 2025 alone, you’ve witnessed the emboldened actions of selfish, ignorant, and sexist politicians around the world, the blind but deadly allegiance that is being aroused, and the horrifyingly backwards direction we’re headed. Our very way of life is at stake. From our clean air and water, to our health & safety, to our financial security, to our education, to the very control of our human bodies, and beyond. America has brought back measles while removing the word “women” from scientific research. This is a world to fear.

And this fear is far greater than the fear I have of judgment from uninformed and misogynistic trolls.

So come at me with your sticks & stones, I see you there under the bridge. I will take them all and use them to fuel my fire and sharpen my blade. Because I know my voice has power, or else you wouldn’t want to silence it. You’ve revealed to all that your fear of me is far greater than my fear of you. And so I will use yours as fuel when mine runs dry.