Living in an Oppressive Society: Montse and Fisher Dialogue 

I am grateful for having met you. I have a strong sense that I as I continue to grow, your work will be an integral part of my work. Your dedication to Fearlessness and Liberation both as academic theories and part of our human experience is inspiring. This is legacy work!

A point of ongoing dialogue and inquiry could be about what is the role of "love" (passion) in the coming to face one's fear/terror. In the interview a few times we touch on the animal chased by a predator and its need to shake and tremble (any threat is potentially enough on any complex organism like a human)--it is a healing (self-regulating natural response). This attached link here I'm adding to this discussion and it raises an interest thesis (experience) of a slam poet who is famously successful, where they talk about the trembling and their own coming to terms with public speaking as a young person and basically how not just "faith" got them to continue along their pursuit of poetry as a career but much more so their "love for slam" is what kept them working through the fear for years and years... I agree, that having a direct vision/mission/passion for what is just the right thing for you to be doing in your life makes a tonne of difference in how resolute you will be to face and go through all the barriers and limitations. Also, the point could be argued the same goes for "liberation" itself--it will only happen when the passion and love for freedom is great enough (and, smart enough--and free of toxic wounding enough)--for its unfoldment. Go to: Andrea Gibson's interview with Thomas Hubl (2023): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-J30yBf8T9wk.html And, all of that is a reminder of the incredibly important role of the arts (especially) in the path of fearlessness and liberation.

For another talk picking up in more technical detail what I see as "liberation" in its advanced conceptualizations, go to my lecture a few years ago: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wa00zp0QlwU.html

Here is the link to the full interview by Montse of Fisher: Go to the original dialogue; video @ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DjVr8pfaTG4.html audio only: iono.fm/e/1436449

At a point in the interview I raise the Matrix of Domination (notion, see Patricia Hill Collins), and I suggest "fearism" is at the core of the wheel of all oppressions, and right there with it (which I barely mention in the interview) is "adultism"-- it is fearism-adultism (aka the destruction of our children basically, and their future opportunities) that is about as 'evil' as it gets, especially because it has the ability to hide itself in normal; if you think I am exaggerating speculatively only about the destruction of our children/youth, then have a look at a fact filled (excellent) presentation by Dr. Scott Galloway on this very topic: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qEJ4hkpQW8E.html

At one point in the interview Mmabatho says she is "shocked" that academia has not picked-up on the importance of my work and on "fear and fearlessness." True as that is, I want to clarify that what the academy has not picked-up on is a more integrated notion (theory) which I have been promoting since 1999 or so and published in my masters thesis in adult education. That is, that what is going to be more effective than focusing only on fear is to focus on where fear is located in larger social dynamics. Thus, I presented a model/theory called DCFV Theory. D= Domination, C= Conflict, F= Fear and V= Violence. Therein is the basis for critical theory (pedagogy) and a truly liberational praxis to undermine oppression. To see my masters thesis (Fisher, 2000): open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/831/items/1.0055569

To clarify: what is most exasperating in my 35 yrs. studying fear(ology) is that most of the population doesn't want to talk about it. That's one thing, and is understandable to a degree. What is much more disturbing is the 100+ authors who write and teach about fear (often experts) they do not want to have the ongoing dialogues with me (the fearologist) and they won't promote my work (with a rare exception now and then). We have to ask why that is? What is the agenda of all the teachers out there on fear? Something else is going on (involving big egos and trauma, competition and intolerance, polarizational ideologies, politics, economics)--and, that irks me to no end. Where is the open co-inquiry? We have to work together to deal effectively with the Fear Problematique.