Fear itself...

**Thevail** · 03-03-2009, 07:10 PM

While there are obviously some very real problems in the economy, a lot of the market instability really is the old "fear itself" issue.

And as companies get scared they lay off, and laid off people spend less money, and more businesses get more scared..etc. etc.

No one wants this. But what can we do as individuals to help, not so much with the actual economic crisis elements like the credit markets, but rather, how can we prevail as calmer heads to stem what seems to be an ever rising tide of naked fear?

**mauimagic** · 03-03-2009, 07:26 PM

Soooo true. I got caught up in the fear factor and all the rest of the junkie feelings last week. I thought I was recovered from a nasty cold, but based on my reactions to being back to work and the 'real' world - I was not well. It took all weekend for me to realize that I was in a reactionary mode instead of a thinking one.

Feel much better now - mentally and physically. I know we have the strength and intelligence to get through all of this. For one thing, all of the support that we receive from each other geometrically increases our strengths. From a calm perspective, real life is not money. We are life. Enjoy ourselves and each other.

**DJ1972** · 03-03-2009, 07:38 PM

DH and I were just talking about the "fear" component of all of this. So far our jobs have not been affected. Mine probably won't be, not too sure about his, but we refuse to let fear control our lives. We were living on a budget and getting out of debt before this all started, so we will just continue as we were. We watch alot less news now for that reason though.

**old_lady_in_the_shoe** · 03-03-2009, 07:58 PM

Fear is running a muck...
The fear alone can cause prices to increase because of the "fear" that there will be "none" later (of what ever it is you are purchasing). example...when everyone heres gas is going up, they all run to the pumps and well gas does go up because of all the use, not because of a shortage, just the demand. It is a reaction...

If more people would "be prepared" with stocking up, not be in so much debt, learn some basic skills, and watch what they spend/buy especially on credit, not over extend themself ON A MORE REGULAR basic, then our country would not be in this mess, and people would not be fearful right now.

Banks and other lenders should also be more Fearful and watch how they lend, insted of just giving any loan for anything and giving more that things are worth. In the case of the lenders, they need to be more fearful and less reliant on government handouts. jmho

**sabrelvssammy** · 03-03-2009, 08:06 PM

and that's the key...stop listening to all the babble....its simply unbelieveable anymore all the crap that comes from the media....if we didn't have them and just continued to go about our daily lives our stress factor would be alot less.... we are gonna make it people...it may not be easy and there will probably be a lot of tears shed before its all over...but in reality we still do have each other...they can take alot away from us but they can't take our families and friends...

we just have to 'keep it together' until this passes...i know alot of people under severe stress and that is stretching over into their daily lives and interactions with others....there are alot more squabbles and tension within families....

..stop....walk away....catch your breathe.....better times are coming....

**craftypam** · 03-03-2009, 08:23 PM

I love to watch the news; BUT right now I refuse; They are always negative but its worse now. Since none of us can change our economy by ourselves what is the point in getting all upset.

**fixer** · 03-04-2009, 12:24 AM

I think it is important to stay informed no matter how bad the news is. The important thing is for someone to make sure they determine how it effects them. The question should be: Does it really effect my job, bank, home, or future. We tend to get sucked in by the news even though we are okay. Chance are that if you haven't missed a mortgage payment, your home will not be foreclosed on. If you have money in the stock market and can wait at least five years, you should see some gains by then. I invested in the market when the Dow was under three- thousand. So technically, I have at least some room yet. I also invested at thirteen thousand so all is not well. The point is that is our retirement and we won't retire for at least fifteen years. I believe when you worry it should be for something that warrants it.

**Thevail** · 03-04-2009, 02:28 AM

So I invited a few friends over for coffee this evening. And when they knocked I ran to the door, swung it open, and whispered,"Hurry..get inside quick! The recession is out there! Don't let it in!"

We all laughed so hard, and thus was the spell of fear broken.
We talked about it a little bit and then (OMG it was a MIRACLE) started talking about OTHER THINGS.
I highly advise doing the same with your friends.

There are enough fears and tears without leaving it completely unbalanced.I don't think people laugh enough anymore.

**PrairieRose** · 03-04-2009, 08:49 AM

I agree that we need to stay informed but that doesn't equal watching the news, hearing the same, old, worn out fear mongering over and over and over......omg.Give it a break. Get your news, either watch it once in the evening or read it online but don't watch/listen to it all day long.....noone can take that much negativity and not be deeply affected by it. Things are tough, but geeze, we'll be ok.....eventually.

**IntlMom** · 03-04-2009, 09:09 AM

I am about the only one I know that is NOT feeling the fear. Hubbys got a great new job, we sold our house privately for full asking price, and on, and on, and on........ don't get me wrong, I know it's real. All you have to do is turn the news on or go to the grocery store to see that...but I'm not "living the fear" that everyone else seems to be. I am still saving, still being frugal, same as always (although we are eating our stockpile up, so we don;t have to move it across country - I am ready to build it up again ASAP after we move).......anyway.

I just wanted to say that I reufuse to get all worked up about the economy.....worrying about it isn;t going to change it.

(cool Bible tags....now if I could just change the version!)

**TheMartianChick** · 03-04-2009, 09:53 AM

Remember when you could turn on the television and watch the news? Ya know... that one hour each evening where the anchorperson would give a reasonably unbiased account of the days goings on, touching on each important subject. At the end of the hour, you were pretty sure that you knew enough about what had happened and then you flipped channels to watch a gameshow?

Today's news programs don't actually have any news in them. I watched my local news one evening. The top story was about a cat that had been set on fire.They interviewed people asking their opinions. Opinions aren't news! That cat story stayed in the news for days as the top story. I love animals and think that people who do things like that are really twisted, but why should a story about a dying cat be more important than stories about PEOPLE who were murdered during that same week?

Why can't the all day cable news channels just give you the news? They are on 24 hours a day...They should have LOTS of time to give us the news. Instead you have to listen to their commentators discuss their opinions about the story and their thoughts on what the outcome should be. That isn't news! If you turn on the tv in the middle of one of their discussions, you might mistake some of their "what if-ing" for what actually happened.

I do believe that the media keeps us going...causing us to feed on fear. We truly have to tune it out and turn it off in order to be able to function. We should not dwell in fear, nor should we make decisions out of fear. We should prep and plan for the things that are likely to happen.

People really shouldn't be stockpiling food and paying off debt because the economy is in the toilet. Instead we should be stocking up on food because we have to eat every day. We should have a well-stocked pantry so that we can donate to the local charity that feeds the homeless. We should have plenty of toilet paper etc... in case we get a weather -related emergency and the roads are impassable. We should reduce, reuse and recycle things because it is the right thing to do for our wallets and the environment. We should pay off our debts so that in the event that our jobs are outsourced, we can get by on less. In the event that are jobs are not lost... we can save more money for a rainy day or for the education of a child.We can't let the media tell us when to be afraid. We should have been afraid 5 years ago when this perfect storm was brewing...The media didn't really warn us then, did they? Why should we trust them now?

What can we do to improve the situation? We can be frugal. We can encourage others to be frugal for the security of their own families. We can volunteer...Not just to help others, but so that we can see that our lives aren't as bad as we might feel that they are. There is always someone with less than what we have.

We can get our news from alternate sources like National Public Radio. They have a website so you can read news that is far less biased that most of what the mainstream media provides. I mention that one source but you can seek out others.

We can look for ways to barter with our friends and neighbors. This saves us all money and may help our neighbors to stay afloat during a rough patch.

If we choose to buy, we should buy American made products to keep our U.S. factory workers employed. WalMart products might not cost much in dollars and cents but they cost a whole lot when you consider the jobs that are lost when an American factory closes. Vote with your paycheck!

**forHISglory** · 03-04-2009, 10:09 AM

The market is about 30% financial and about 70% psychological. The psychological fear tends to drive the money.

So what to do? I try to educate myself on finance, on the markets, on historical trends and events. That way I can filter the news.

I cling to my religious faith which assures me that God is still in control.

I make sure my house is in order. Even if I can't keep the national house in order, I do have control over my own affairs.

I don't hide my head in the sand as I don't want to be blindsided. But I have to learn to ignore certain sections of the "news".

**rowdy35** · 03-04-2009, 03:45 PM

I confess, I am addicted to CNN and HLN

so I am watching the news daily

however,,, I am in much better shape that I was a year ago. i have back up plan, and my back up plan has a back up plan, etc.

I agree that we can't give in to the fear and the only thing we have to fear is fear itself

**sabrelvssammy** · 03-04-2009, 04:54 PM

well ever since i have decided that the tv uses too much electricity (yes, i am still on that kick)....

i have been watching less and less of all the crap....i too was addicted to the news....on 24 hrs a day.... now days go by that i have to ask what is happening (and i always get the same old answer....its the same old thing....) i do check the dow at the end of the day (just so i can feel even more sorry for myself for a moment

) but now its just a number...i heard it..i know it....and that's it....off to deal with dh's burning chicken....

and i gotta tell ya...it has made me feel a whole lot better not being 'tuned' in...and i am not missing anything that someone won't call and tell me about anyway....try it....

**Judi Dial** · 03-05-2009, 09:06 PM

DH is addicted to NPR, I tuned out of the news a while ago. For one thing when NPR let Bob Edwards go, they stopped the laughter in Morning Edition, and that laughter used to leaven the bad news for me, make it bearable.

Now? For years it's been lots of bad stuff I mostly have no control over. I concentrate on what I CAN do, my life. I do read the headlines on Yahoo and willy-nilly, i listen to NPR at least once a day. In the car I listen to tapes and we gave away our TV since we never watched it! So, we've been on a less news kick for quite a while...

Fear? I saw this stuff coming 20 years ago when the Dow started breaking 10,000 every day. I pulled my $ out of the market then. I'd had $ in tech stocks and pulled it out of there too. Gee, I was only 15 years early, I coulda been filthy rich instead of too early!

Ah well, I guess I'd rather be right? Well, maybe not.

Judi