The Second Commandment

The Second commandment is, Let not there be Fear, only Courage.

A commandment that to the novice seems very cut and dry. One must merely not be afraid. If only such a missive were so simple.

Some would claim fear is the antithesis of courage. Yet this is often not the case. Fear can be a healthy, strategically motivating emotion. In many ways this commandment should say more. do not let fear dominate you. Do not fall victim to your fear. Use your fear. I find great respect in a foe that claims to fear me, yet draws their blade.

Though the commandment doesn't stop there. Only Courage. Have only courage. Does this mean one should be a fool and charge headlong into every engagement without prior thought? No. To truly understand this commandment one must be aware of the true meaning of courage itself. One who has courage has the ability to do something that frightens them.

There is no Courage absent Fear. One must look at this commandment and realize it is one demanding symbiosis. Those things you may fear are the fuel for your courage. So in truth this commandment can be entrapping. You must understand its hidden meaning to succeed in exemplifying it. Let there be fear, but have the courage to never succumb to it.

Authored by Lelleiala Afearv, Sigil of the Crown.