Is That Feeling Freedom or Fear? Maybe Both.

My 15-year-old recently got his driver’s license, and he’s now free to roam the streets between 5 AM and 10 PM, with a couple of legal and parental restrictions. It’s a big milestone, one I feel surprisingly comfortable with—for now. Is that just convenience speaking?

This moment makes me reflect on the two-sided coin of freedom and fear. We often hear about these concepts together, especially in terms of the fundamental human right to “freedom from fear,” as declared in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. And with all that is happening around the world and the forthcoming election, it’s natural to think back to FDR’s “Four Freedoms” speech in 1941.

But I’m thinking about freedom and fear a bit differently—about how these feelings can work together to help us make decisions and pursue big goals.

A sense of freedom often comes with a dose of fear. For me, this usually shows up as nervous energy, anxiety, or even a lack of appetite. Take the freedom I feel when I’m riding my mountain bike on a new trail or tackling a challenging technical section. Other examples, for me, include roller coasters, public speaking, and even having difficult conversations in the workplace. That anticipation, sparked by healthy fear, is the same emotion I feel when I think about my son’s newfound independence behind the wheel.

Fear, the other side of the coin, as helpful as it can be, can also be paralyzing. It depends on the mindset with which we approach all things. Healthy fear is a motivator, while excessive fear can sabotage our goals. As Psychology Today explains, a near-final step in moving through fear is discernment—the ability to distinguish between constructive caution and reckless anxiety. By harnessing the reasonable parts of fear, it can fuel rather than hinder progress.

Ultimately, we can choose to let fear incapacitate us or make us more productive, and we can use our freedom wisely or carelessly. So, how are you balancing freedom and fear to achieve your best outcomes?