"Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain."
How true that is of motorcyling! But it applies to so much else: Starting a new job, going alone to the movies, driving on Interstate 40...
Psychologists refer to this practice as flood therapy, used in overcoming phobias. The generally accepted practice involves slowly introducing patients to increased levels of experience to their phobia, allowing them to gradually desensitize themselves to their fears.
Conversely, simply dropping someone into a sink-or-swim situation which involves a genuine phobia is a recipe for disaster and may actually reinforce the phobic behavior.
I have long desired for Lani to ride with me, and we have made baby steps in that direction. But I have accepted that she may never enjoy riding; I love her nonetheless. A fear of riding and a lack of interest in it are two different things altogether... Because I love her (and I don't want to encourage a fear of riding) I'll never intentionally subject her to a long and excruciating ride she doesn't want to go on.
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