What are you afraid of?

Over the past four years I have taken an interest in the subject of motivation, trying to figure out why humans — and Princetonians in particular — do what they do. People act for many reasons — out of love, sense of responsibility, pleasure seeking or altruism, just to name a few. Princetonians are no different. Our motivational fire just seems to burn brighter than usual. What is the fuel for this fire? Why are we so distinctly motivated? I believe I may have an answer, a controversial answer, but one born of years of observation and reflection.

Fear.

I feel that Princetonians have a keener sense of fear than is typical for young adults. We fear many different flavors of failure: social failure — having no friends, academic failure — performing worse than our peers and professional failure — not achieving career prospects worthy of our institution. It is these fears that drive us to succeed, to socialize and to strive for brighter futures. In addition to being capable enough to have gained admission to Princeton, we might have just been more afraid of not getting in than most students. This extra anxiety over our personal success may have driven us to put in the extra time, to do all of the little things required for a chance at Princeton. Fear is a powerful motivator and one that can compel us to great heights.

But fear is a double-edged sword. Fear can be productive, but it can also be quite destructive. Though it protects us from failure and drives us towards self-preservation, being ruled by fear is a losing bargain.

Prolonged fear — anxiety — manifests itself in the form of stress, where our bodies physically and mentally start buckling under its weight. Many college undergraduates experience stress, but most of them do not realize its root. Whenever you feel stressed about something in your life, chances are that you are afraid of something. It is the fear of not being someone who they want to be that is central to their distress.

At Princeton, it goes even farther. The great success that we have enjoyed thus far in life has not diminished our fear of failure. Quite the contrary, it seems to have increased it, driving us to seek more impressive goals and accolades. We fear taking risks, preferring to tread in the paths blazed by our well-regarded forerunners. Rather than spreading our talent among a wide range of fields, we funnel into the comfort of finance and consulting. Our fear of not measuring up to the model of a Princetonian might make us more likely to do what we feel is expected of us and less likely to do what we actually desire. Numerous public columns and private conversations have made this fear of not measuring up starkly clear.

This fear is, in many cases, completely unfounded. We are a fortunate group, and as Princetonians, we have little to fear in the way of success, respect and opportunity. My classmates, and the many generations of students who will come thereafter, will be fine. There will, of course, be the natural ups and downs of young adulthood, fraught with breakthroughs and drawbacks. Our proven work ethic and talent will not let us falter. More importantly, the friends and community we have built at Princeton — with a little effort and continued involvement on our part — will support us for the rest of our lives.

College can be a terrifying experience for many, with questions of self-worth and belonging being faced for the first time. The fear that comes with these questions, however, is completely fictitious and of our own making. If Princeton students could overcome their groundless fears of inadequacy and failure, or even accept that they possess such fears, it would go a long way to improving their collegiate — and life — experience.

The next time you feel stressed or anxious about something, think about what you are actually afraid of. Nine times out of 10, I bet that you will realize that your fears are silly, overblown or completely baseless. This revelation that it is you who are in the driver’s seat and that it is you who are in control will utterly vanquish your angst.

In this, my last column as an undergraduate, I guess there is only one thing I want to say: There’s nothing to be afraid of. Everything will turn out just fine. Hopefully someday Princetonians will come to understand their profound self-worth and conquer their fears. When we release fear as a motivator and open ourselves to the world of other inspirations, then, and only then, will we banish the specters that drag down some Princetonians during their four years.

Princeton, you are wonderful, capable and gifted. So just chill out a little.

Nathan Mathabane is a geosciences major from Portland, Ore. He can be reached at nmathaba@princeton.edu.