Wednesday, May 6, 2009

How to Think Like a Fool #6: Scare Yourself

RISK: Scare Yourself
Before somebody else does.

You only need to know one word:
BOO!

Works for me every time.

Like tickling yourself, scaring yourself is not always easy, because you know it's coming.

But fools may need to cure their hiccups by yelling BOO! (got me again) or push themselves past the finish-line by pretending they are being chased.

In my stage show, "Help! Help! I Know This Title is Long, But Somebody's Trying to Kill Me!", I frighten myself by pretending that all the other performers in the variety show were murdered, and I have to do all the acts in the show alone, or else I'm next. This forces me to find inventive ways to perform these acts, because I'm a master of none. Instead of courage, I rely on quirky creativity.

By taking on both the mischievous role of the scarer and the innocent role of the scaree, you play with your anxieties instead of being owned by them. Bring fun back to fear, like you were telling and hearing ghost stories around the campfire.

Think: How can I use fear to solve this problem? What am I afraid of? How can I scare myself?

Tomorrow: How to Think Like a Fool #7: Make a Fool Out of Yourself

Previous "How to Think Like a Fool" Posts


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