Anxiety

In his book, “The Concept of Anxiety,” the 19th century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard penned, “No Grand Inquisitor has such terrible tortures as anxiety.”

More truthful words have never been written.

I first read Kierkegaard as a philosophy major at Flagler College. In hindsight, it’s rather humorous that a healthy 20-year-old kid whose father paid for tuition, room, board, a late model car and insurance (and on top of this, a monthly stipend for pizza and beer) studied the topic of angst. Truly, I knew nothing of Kierkegaard’s Grand Inquisitor. I knew nothing of anxiety’s power.

But — today, at the ripe old age of 42, I am quite familiar with the Grand Inquisitor. I have also learned the wisdom of Aesop, who wrote, “A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet in anxiety.”

Some philosophers and evolutionary biologists argue that anxiety is a natural state for human beings. These professionals posit that we needed the impetus of anxiety to survive the wilds of pre-history; and we continue to need this survival tool to brave jungles like Wal-Mart.

Nevertheless, I have decided to kiss this tool of evolutionary survival goodbye. I’m tired of anxiety having her way with me; I have grown weary of her tyranny (I use the pronoun “her,” not because I’m overtly sexist but because the word anxiety comes from the Latin word anxietas, which is feminine).

But how does one live without anxiety? More than 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders — more than any other mental illness. If you happen to suffer from this dis-ease, then you know there are numerous suggested antidotes.

Jimmy Buffet‘s answer to the issue of anxiety is, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.” Pfizer suggests Xanax. And Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, tells his followers that God will take care of them — so not to worry. Though I am acquainted with the former two prescriptions, the latter corrective is what sustains me.

From the Buddhist tradition, the current Dali Lama gives this advice: “If you have fear of pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.” True — but easier said than done.

Recently, I have employed two pieces of counsel for dealing with anxiety. The first piece of advice is the very old saying, wrongly attributed to the Bible, which probably originated with Persian Sufi poets: “This too shall pass.” The second prescription that I find helpful hangs in my study at Memorial Presbyterian Church. Inscribed on a piece of painted drift wood are these words, “The Tide Always Changes.”

Armed with these two grains wisdom, along with faith in God (the size of a mustard seed) I am challenging the Grand Inquisitor. True, sometimes I feel like David fighting Goliath, but, in the end, things turned out pretty well for the shepherd boy.