Damn Good Caveman.

Dear Cassie:

I wonder if anxiety existed in caveman times.  I’m not the most anthropological thinker, and this isn’t a usual thought of mine, but, seriously, were our good-lookin’ homo erectus forefathers walkin’ around having panic attacks or afraid to take the steps that their life required? I can’t imagine the evolutionary benefit of anxiety disorders. Honestly, how does that come about in the genetic make-up of human beings?

“oh hey, you know what would help these people evolve as a species? DEBILITATING FEAR ABOUT EVERYTHING.”

Realistically, there are no benefits to real bad anxiety. Think of the things that people are anxious about: rejection. Rejection is the best thing that can happen to most people. If we all got rejected a little bit more, you better believe just, as people, we would have thicker skin and more pleasant personalities, while simultaneously not feeling the NEED to please everyone at all times, because we’ve been rejected, and it’s not all that bad.

Okay, what else? Failure. What kind of people do you look at as failures? When I think of a failure, I think of either somebody who was too afraid to try and couldn’t think of a way to get past that, or somebody who was too afraid to try, figured he should treat that fear with some meth and somehow that backfired for him.

So it’s fear. Fear just blows. It’s totally useless. It’s the biggest enemy of not only the actor, but the human. And I don’t mean a little bit of nervous tension, or some butterflies in the stomach. That stuff’s golden. I’m talking about can’t leave your house locked in your closet eating old cheetos for three days for fear of skin cancer from going outside. THAT kind of fear.

People just don’t live anymore. We seem to forget: living and dying are synonyms. And you could get depressed about that but why are you wasting your time? I think it’s a wonderful thing to think of. It’s humbling. It’s urgent. I shouldn't even have to write this. I know this. I would be a damn good caveman. and I totes wouldn't be anxious, bro.

Love love love, Cass.