Free Essay

Living Without Worry and Fear

In:

Submitted By EGerst
Words 1637
Pages 7
Living Without Worry and Fear
Freedom is defined as a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restrictions. Jeffrey Borenstein has said, “Freedom is that instant between when someone tells you to do something and when you decide how to respond.” However, Anne Dillard suggests a simple and unsophisticated way of life and uses the world of the weasel for motivation to convey this message. Since our ability to think and reason makes us who we are as individuals, it is odd that Dillard marvels at the value of “mindlessness.” Yet, in Anne Dillard’s essay, “Living like Weasels” she uses her encounter with a weasel to demonstrate how we would obtain more out of life through living carefree and without a worry. This freedom translates to a beauty hard for many to see and we should remain grateful for our conscious ability and the fact that our presence provides this beauty to the world. Dillard evaluates the rodent’s way of life, which in reality is pure freedom. This weasel is free to do as it pleases and is not involved in taking on mental activity. Further, the weasel has no human responsibilities and approaches life with no thoughts other than survival. If we approached each day without being mindful, our actions would not be distorted by our biases or motives. Dillard observes, “I might learn something of mindlessness, something of the purity of living in the physical senses and the dignity of living without bias or motive” (91).

When Dillard began her essay, she challenged the reader to consider, "Who knows what he thinks?"(88). Dillard is pondering if a weasel is mindless or if the weasel is able to make choices and live by consciousness. Dillard then shares the sleeping and eating habits of the weasel she does this to support the wildness of the weasel. She describes a weasel as wild because “he sleeps in his underground den”…. and “outside, he stalks rabbits, mice, muskrats, and birds, killing more bodies than he can eat warm, and often dragging the carcasses home” (Dillard 88).
In Dillard’s essay, she describes how the weasel lives, her observations of the weasel, and then advises we apply these principles to our daily lives. The tone of the paper changes when Dillard indicates “I would like to have seen that eagle from the air” (88-89). At this point she begins to speculate how it would be to live like a weasel. Dillard asserts the weasel lives in necessity and we live in choice (91). With this choice comes struggles and preoccupation. Whereas, a weasel has a beauty with just being and not thinking and there is no choices made other than finding food to survive. As argued in the essay, “a weasel lives as he’s meant to, yielding at every moment to the perfect freedom of single necessity (Dillard 91). What I further interpret from this is that purity is found in the freedom of not having to choose. Unfortunately, people are so preoccupied with the pressures of life. Whereas, a weasel simply lives and is just a weasel with no real thinking needed. They resist the very notion of “necessity” and do not process why or how they exist. Dillard assumes the weasel’s way of life is the greatest way to be in this world. Humans are complicated, are anxious, consider the course of time, or deal with thoughts of death. Like the weasel, we should live life in the moment, deeply experiencing everything deeply and not concerning ourselves with the past. Instead, we should choose to live “with a fierce and pointed will”(91).

When Dillard goes to the pond, she gets joy out of the peace she experiences and the time she just is who she is. For me, this is where I agree most with the author. Instead of living like weasels where we do not have to think from the time we wake until we go to bed, I believe it is important to relax, to do nothing, and to meditate. Through this period where we take a time out, we become recharged and are clearer in our decision making. When Dillard indicates, “I come to Hollins’ pond not so much to learn how to live as, frankly, to forget (91). I see this as the time she takes to meditate. Dillard further describes the pond as a “Creek with six inches of water and six thousand lily pads” (Dillard 89). In the wintertime, the lily pads turn into “brown and white steers that stand in the middle of it something that looks like a miracle itself” (Dillard 89). These claims paint a picture of a very calm and beautiful place. Dillard joins the opening of the essay with the scene of the pond so she can enlighten the reader of her experience with the weasel. Bottom line, the setting is the weasel’s home and we are transported there to get a sense of how the weasel lives. Further this setting provides a place where Dillard is able to analyze and process what it is like to live like a weasel.
Our ability to reason and to rationalize is what makes us unique and different from wild animals. Just the same, as we get caught up in our own thinking, this can work to our disadvantage. When Dillard asserts that “the weasel lives in necessity and we live in choice,” (91) I think the author is indicating that we do in fact have a choice to live a simpler life and without dignity and concern for deep thought (I don’t see this as abandoning reason though). I see this point more clearly when reading “We could live under the wild rose wild as weasels,” (91) mute and uncomprehending. Dillard further asserts, “We can live any way we want. People take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience - even of silence - by choice. The thing is to stalk your calling in a certain skilled and supple way, to locate the most tender and live spot and plug into that pulse” (91). This statement exemplifies how humans can choose any lifestyle they want. Yet, they should still pursue a primary goal and a passion with sheer purpose and persistence like the weasel. The movie “Into the Wild” is an example of where a man was insistent to leave everything he owned behind, to live off of the land. Like the point Dillard makes in her essay, in the movie, a man leaves the world’s complications behind and lives the way he feels a man is supposed to live. He applied determination to live without a job, money, and technology and pursued a life of freedom. He abandons his possessions, gives his savings over to charity, and hitchhikes to Alaska while leaving life’s complications behind.

There are some aspects that I support in Dillard’s line of thinking. Like Dillard and the movie noted above, I agree that we should let our worries go and to be at peace with our lives. I also believe that we are blessed to have the ability to think and reason, which is unlike animals. This is a blessing I would not want to let go of. For Dillard, to even sit at the pond and consider how to live like a weasel is an example of our innate ability to comprehend things. Yet, Dillard wasn’t being completely transparent and asking us to live with a mindless purpose. Instead, she challenges us to pursue our purpose our one necessity. “I think it would be well, and proper, and obedient, and pure, to grasp your one necessity and not let it go, to dangle from it limp wherever it takes you" (Dillard 92). Dillard asserts that we should stick to what we find as necessary. While these necessities may differ from one person to the next, we each can live a deeper rewarding life if we embrace “living like a weasel.” A weasel doesn’t “attack” anything; a weasel lives as he’s meant to, yielding at every moment to the perfect freedom of single necessity” (91). The weasel really must eat to live and this translates to freedom. The weasel has no option than to fight, which is therapeutic because of living a “perfect freedom”. If people lived as animals did, life would be simple. Animals live with minimal thought. They look to survive by finding food and shelter. Dillard suggests that we can learn something from simple, harmless creatures when she asserts “but I might learn something of mindlessness, something of purity of living the physical senses and the dignity of living without bias or motive (91).” We live with worry and fear, to live with a mindless existence is how we should live.
At times it can be exhausting to concern ourselves with seeking answers to everything. From childhood to adulthood, people process and analyze everything. Children ask why the sky is blue. And adults process how to obtain promotions at work so they can make more money. Add more….On the other hand, weasels don’t worry about these things. Weasels just exist and are content as they are. Dillard examines what it is like to not think and instead relax and process nothing. Ultimately, she suggests that if you live for the necessities of life, it can free you – to live like a weasel free of worry and fear. Anne Dillard does a good job to help us understand that living a carefree life is a choice we have and can make. This sensibility and freedom brings beauty to the world. In the end, freedom brings us perfect happiness.

Works Cited
Dillard, Annie. “Living Like Weasels.” Fifty Great Essays. Ed. Robert Diyanni. New York: Pearson, 2013. 88-92. Print

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Comparing Monaco and Chad

...one of the countries at the top of International Living’s 2011 Quality of Life Index, at the 5th position. There are many things that makes Monaco a greater place to live in compared to Chad. One of the reasons why it is such a great place to live is because of the safety in Monaco. Monaco has a very low crime rate, with a rate for rape at 0 percent, a rate for burglary at 0 percent and murder at 3.33 percent. This means that Monacans don’t live in a climate of fear, they feel safe, and thus can enjoy life without having to worry about poverty-stricken people forced to crime stabbing them for their money. Monaco is also known to have a great health system. Monaco has a a free health-care system, with a 0.98 Health Index score that indicates very high human development. Monacan residents also have a life expectancy of 90 years old. This means that Monacans don’t have to worry about getting health-care or even paying for it, they know that it is available and available for free. They can live freely without having to worry about not getting medical attention, which is a stark contrast to many other people in both first and third world nations. In Monaco, human rights are respected and upheld by their government. For example, there have been no reports of any politically motivated disappearances and killings in Monaco, and there are freedoms of speech, press, internet freedom, cultural events, academic freedom, religion and equality. In Monaco, your rights as a human are protected...

Words: 591 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Slaying the Giants

...giants in our lives have different names of fear, loneliness, doubt, discouragement, failure, jealousy, worry, anger, guilt, and procrastination. Just like the biblical ancients overcame their giants, we too must overcome our giants. In doing so we must allow God to help us in the process in knowing that He is with us and will empower us in overcoming. Fear Fear is a major problem in the land of the giants. This giant comes in so many forms. Fear has gripped us all at some point in our lives. Thousands are affected daily in some type of fear or another. But fear is a common part of the fabric of living. Fear gives us burst of strength and speed when we need and is a good thing in a survival instinct situation. When fear becomes negative it then becomes a phobia. This is when fear and reason does match up. When fear becomes ill rational, it becomes a shackle that bind us and put us into bondage. This bondage will keep us from the routine things in life of working, playing, living and serving God. There are so many varieties of fears. This is a listing of six general categories that we face in fear: poverty, criticism, loss of love, illness, old age and death. When we read the bible we can see that those living in biblical times often were tormented by the same fears that we face today. It would seem that Christians would not have the same challenges with fear as the unbeliever instead the fears are the same. Fear does five major things in God’s will for...

Words: 6806 - Pages: 28

Premium Essay

Mental Health

...children experiencing inconsistent care giving and don’t spend much time with their parents, may feel anxious and prone to shy behavior. However on the other hand, it parents are over protective, this can cause their to feel inhibited and afraid of new environments.-Lack of social interaction: if children are isolated from others for their first few years of living, this reduces their chance of having good social skills.-Harsh criticism: Children that have been bullied by their parent, sibling etc. may cause them to feel shy.-Fear of failure: Children who have been pushed to do well to many times may be fearful of failing, which can cause feeling of shyness. | There are ways in which you can help a child who has shyness characteristics.- Labeling a child as shy should be minimized as children a lot of the time live up to their labels people have placed on them- be supportive and empathetic toward the child. Criticizing and mocking a child when they are shy doesn’t help.- Getting the child to talk openly about their shyness and what they are afraid of helps, encourage the child to talk and open up about their feelings and fears.- Use you own life examples and experiences of being shy to the child, as they perceive caregivers as ‘perfect’. This...

Words: 756 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Thomas S. Whitecloud's Blue Winds Dancing

...In “Blue Winds Dancing” the narrator fears the white man's ways. There are many different reasons the narrator feels that way and rightfully so, as he takes on a completely different way of life with new surroundings and interactions. Thomas S. Whitecloud portrays the narrator’s fear in ways such as: he feels like the color of his skin makes him less of a person than the white man, he is not accustomed to the ways of the white man, and also because it makes him forget where he is from. Because he feels like the color of his skin makes him less of a person than the white man, the narrator lives in a life full of low self esteem and disappointment. One reason the narrator says this is, “read reports of intelligence test and learn that one’s race is behind”(1). Meaning that he has actually seen and heard that his race is below the white man. Even later in that page proving that he believes it and is letting it bother him the narrator says, “we are inferior”(1). The worst part of the way the narrator is thinking is the toll it takes on him early in the story, “have to worry about some man’s opinion of my...

Words: 583 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Lalala

...share happiness with others and ask others to be happy, when we don't have happiness in ourselves? We can share our joy and happiness with all beings without any discrimination of human beings or non-human beings, good beings or bad beings, happy beings or unhappy beings, wise beings or ignorant beings, but we cannot give happiness to others nor can we make other beings to become happy. If one can give happiness to others or can make another being to become happy, then there shouldn't be any beings being unhappy in the world, because we can just give happiness to everyone and make everyone happy. But it doesn't work like that. Not even Buddha nor any enlightened beings can make another being to become happy or to become enlightened. If it is so easy, we can just ask for happiness or enlightenment and be happy forever and be enlightened. It is all come from within ourselves. Happiness or enlightenment, it is up to our own efforts to realize them within ourselves. It cannot be given or be bought from someone else. All the teachers and teachings are there to guide us to attain true happiness and enlightenment by our own effort. When beings are unhappy, have no peace in the heart, the mind is full of attachment, ignorance, anger, hatred, jealousy, arrogance, dissatisfaction, frustration, disappointment, doubt, fear and worry, the mind is feeling depressed and unhappy, then no matter how sincere we want to share joy and happiness with them, they will still be unhappy. We can...

Words: 3190 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Adventist

...Kim, Hyunsu Christian Beliefs MW 7:00-8:30 Courage Jesus spoke God’s words to the people throughout his ministry. When faced with the devil's lies and temptations, he countered with the truth of God's Word. The spoken Word of God is like a living, powerful sword in our mouths (Hebrews 4:12), and if Jesus depended upon it to face challenges in life, so can we, and it will give us courage. If you need encouragement from God's Word to overcome your fears, take strength from these fear-busting Scriptures about courage. Courage is a quality of mind or spirit that enables us to meet danger, opposition, or the challenges of life with fearlessness, calmness, and firmness. Someone who has courage may still feel afraid but--through the power of God--can act with confidence. In the Old Testament times, Joshua was chosen by God to lead God’s nation to the promised land. Joshua didn’t think he was fit for the job at first and was afraid to take the role. But the Lord made a marvelous promise to Joshua: He would be with him no matter what happened (Josh.1:5). If you have accepted the Father’s gift of salvation, you have the same assurance (John 14:16-20; Heb. 13:5). Having courage also means having faith on something strong to hold on to. People who are brave and courageous are also the ones who are faithful. Whether is faith in themselves, or faith form the people around, and of course faith from God.Having faith on something strong that you can hold on to or garner strength from is a...

Words: 1010 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Personal Narrative: My Anxiety In The Windy City

...Due to my anxiety I tend to worry a lot, although the things I worry about differ from everyday fears. Many people, who suffer from anxiety, worry about their greatest fear, and from that I realized my greatest fear is to see others unhappy. I never could wrap my mind around the fact that I couldn’t always make someone happy, although one day I tried. The winter of 2010 when I turned ten, my grandmother decided to take my sister, cousin, and I to Chicago. I had traveled to Chicago before when I was much younger, and recollected not appreciating the streets of the Windy City. They breamed with business men and women, smiling tourists, and effervescent street performers. Although in the nooks and crannies stood homeless people begging for food and shelter. Since we were going to be traveling at Christmas time, temperatures were below freezing and snow would quickly accumulate on the ground. So before departing we made Holiday gift bags for the homeless we saw. We stuffed the bags chalk full of scarfs, mittens, food, money, and books and went on our way to the big city. My eyes filled with bliss when I witnessed our finished products....

Words: 631 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Inflation

...increase in inflation along with its cost to the economy usually brings fear and worry to many people. To economists, inflation comes with many costs to the economy. With the inflation that is expected, the costs include the shoe-leather cost, the menu cost, relative price distortions, unfair tax treatment and general inconvenience. When the inflation is unexpected, it arbitrarily redistributes wealth among individuals and increases uncertainty. Although has many cost to the economy, some economists believe a little inflation might be a good thing as it allows the real wages to reach equilibrium levels without nominal wage cuts and therefore improves the functioning of labor markets. But to the other people, inflation is definitely not a good thing because of the common misperception that people usually have: they tend to think that higher prices reduce their standard of living along with their real wages and make them “poorer”. Their belief is obviously true in the short run when the nominal wages are fixed by the contract. But in the long run, the price become more flexible, real wages catch up with price level, and therefore it typically doesn’t have much of an effect either way on people’s standard of living. As most of people don’t have a deep understanding about economics and tend to only see the economy in the short run, the misperception about inflation is likely to be the main reason that spreads the fear of inflation rather than the true cost of inflation...

Words: 267 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Screwtape's Response To The Vietnam War

...Screwtape compares the human soul to a brim-full living chalice of despair and horror and astonishment which can be raised to your lips as often as you please. Next, he compares immediate fear and suffering of humans as legitimate and pleasing refreshments for myriads of toiling workers. Finally, he compares the human soul to temporal suffering in which Screwtape feels as if he has been allowed to taste the first course of a rich banquet and denied the rest. 6. Screwtape’s words in Letter 5 parody Christ’s words in Matthew 26:26-29 and John 6:27-58 by how he calmly states what he is saying as if it is truth. In reality, what Jesus was saying is helpful and the way to everlasting life while what Screwtape was saying is not helpful and is the way to hell. The intent of Screwtape’s statements differs greatly from the intent of Jesus’ statements. Screwtape is trying...

Words: 1127 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Paper 1

...did not have a military to protect the citizens, then most of the citizens would feel unprotected and vulnerable. Military professionals help to keep these fears away and protect the United States on a day to day basis. The military is arguably the most important aspect of our country, because these military professionals are fighting for our freedom day in and day out. There are some United States citizens the think the military is an unnecessary resource in today's society. These people do not understand just how necessary the military actually is. The citizens would no longer be safe if the military would cease to exist. Today's society should make every person in the world feel unsafe at all times by ISIS and other terrorist groups. The United States military helps us Americans to limit these fears and help us to feel protected. As we get deeper into our lives, we have a greater and greater appreciation for our military and the things they do for us. These people love what they do and put their lives on the line while doing it. Although technically speaking their profession isn't “work” it is still the most important profession of them all. I could not imagine living a life in today's society without knowing and feeling like I'm being protected at all times. I'm thankful that I don't have to worry about having this fear thanks to the United States...

Words: 286 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Media - Advantages and Disadvantages

...How To Stop Worrying And Start Living By Dale Carnegie Courtesy: Shahid Riaz Islamabad – Pakistan shahid.riaz@gmail.com http://esnips.com/UserProfileAction.ns?id=ebdaae62-b650-4f30-99a4-376c0a084226 “How To Stop Worrying And Start Living” By Dale Carnegie 2 Contents Sixteen Ways in Which This Book Will Help You Preface - How This Book Was Written-and Why Part One - Fundamental Facts You Should Know About Worry 1 - Live in "Day-tight Compartments" 2 - A Magic Formula for Solving Worry Situations 3 - What Worry May Do to You Part Two - Basic Techniques In Analysing Worry 4 - How to Analyse and Solve Worry Problems 5 - How to Eliminate Fifty Per Cent of Your Business Worries Nine Suggestions on How to Get the Most Out of This Book Part Three - How To Break The Worry Habit Before It Breaks You 6 - How to Crowd Worry out of Your Mind 7 - Don't Let the Beetles Get You Down 8 - A Law That Will Outlaw Many of Your Worries 9 - Co-operate with the Inevitable 10 - Put a "Stop-Loss" Order on Your Worries 11 - Don't Try to Saw Sawdust Part Four - Seven Ways To Cultivate A Mental Attitude That Will Bring You Peace And Happiness 12 - Eight Words that Can Transform Your Life 13 - The High, Cost of Getting Even 14 - If You Do This, You Will Never Worry About Ingratitude 15 - Would You Take a Million Dollars for What You Have? 16 - Find Yourself and Be Yourself: Remember There Is No One Else on Earth Like You 17 - If You Have a Lemon, Make a Lemonade 18 - How to Cure Melancholy in...

Words: 115134 - Pages: 461

Free Essay

The Fault in Our Stars Essay

...Lancaster, who is forced by her parents to attend a support group where she subsequently meets and falls in love with the seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player and amputee. Important themes in the novel acceptance in society and the fear of oblivion. Acceptance in society is an important theme shown in this novel. It is shown by both of the main characters in the novel as they both have a type of cancer and are viewed differently by society. For example, because Hazel has lung cancer she requires an oxygen tank to breathe properly. Due to this she receives weird looks in public. Another example of this is near the end of the book when Augustus is at the petrol station getting cigarettes and his G-tube is messed up and requires the assistance of Hazel. He says “...but I wanted...to do it by myself. Do one little thing myself”. Through this as a reader we can see that Augustus feels the need to prove that although he has cancer he can still do small things like go to the petrol station to buy something, although it majorly failed and he ended up in hospital. This theme was very important in this book because in the generation that we live in, everyone has the need to fit in and proved themselves to their peers. Fear of oblivion is also an important theme shown in the novel.The main characters in the novel are forced to confront death in a way that the young and healthy aren't. Although everyone will eventually die, as Hazel points out in Support Group, death's...

Words: 607 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Suffering the Iliad

...Suffering in The Iliad Suffering seems to be one of the under toning themes of the Iliad. Everyone undergoes the effects of war and battle. The women stand and watch helplessly as their loved ones fight, and live knowing they may never come back. The role of what a ‘man’ or ‘women’ is or should be also causes suffering because of the decisions they must take on. The warriors understand that whichever decision they make to continue in battle or desert, their honor and integrity is at stake and that dilemma causes suffering Although, each person I mention seems to somewhat understand what fate lies ahead of them or of their loved ones, they realize the suffering they will have to eventually go through. As a warrior Achilles has witnessed much death but this war has him questioning why labor through it all? Achilles does not believe in this war initially. He knows the war is over power and ego of a man who could not keep his wife, and doesn’t understand why many men must be dragged into personal affairs and get their hands dirty will the Kings stand back and watch their people and country die. Achilles identity is based on being a proud fighter and he weeping to his mother is a great concern. The humiliation he experiences with Agamemnon, the fact that he lost his war prize and could not defend what was his, affects Achilles pride as well. Achilles, in a time of vulnerability goes to his mother and asks for her guidance after his integrity is compromised. Thetis son Achilles...

Words: 796 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Agoraphobia

...from public places where they feel that urgent escape might be difficult. About one in three people with panic disorder develops agoraphobia. Their world may become lesser, as they are always on guard, waiting for the next attack (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2010-2012). In this paper, I will discuss the lifestyle of people living with agoraphobia as well as the interventions, and factors that may act as retraining forces in agoraphobic individuals. Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder in which individuals tend to avoid situations that they feel may cause them panic. People with agoraphobia may even avoid being alone, leaving their home or any predicament where they could feel humiliated, trapped, or helpless if they do panic. According to Mayo Clinic Staff (2011), people who are agoraphobic do not feel safe in any public place, especially where there is a crowd. They can feel trapped inside of their own home because their fears are so emotionally overpowering. Treatment for agoraphobia can be rough because this usually means coming face-to-face with their fears. Common places and situations that agoraphobic people fear are elevators, sporting events, bridges, public transportation, shopping malls, airplanes, and crowds or lines of people (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011). A whole lifestyle develops where...

Words: 1299 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Anxiety Disorder

...limitations in treatment of anxiety disorders. This paper will also show what this clinician has learned and will take forward into the daily practice of treating adolescents with anxiety disorders. Keywords: anxiety, anxiety disorders, DSM-5, treatment Introduction When we talk about anxiety we have to distinguish between healthy anxiety or normal anxiety and anxiety disorders. It is normal to have a certain amount of anxiety for instance when one is in danger it is normal to become anxious. To have an anxiety disorder your anxiety would have to interfere with your life in a negative way. Anxiety and fear are associate with the disorder and both need to be understood. Anxiety is defined as apprehension over an anticipated problem, fear is defined as a reaction to immediate danger (Kring, p. 173). In the sympathetic nervous system anxiety creates a moderate arousal and fear can create a high arousal. Both there arousals can be moderate to severe where it impacts the quality of live....

Words: 3890 - Pages: 16