Fear defines us. Not by its presence, but by how we respond to it.
There are two kinds of fear. The first is primal. It grips us when lightning strikes too close or when the crack of a bullet signals imminent danger. In those moments, our bodies freeze, and our focus narrows. But with time, experience and discipline, we recover. We learn to navigate perilous situations, even to function in the face of fear.
The second kind of fear is more insidious. It seeps into our daily lives, lingers in the background and dictates our choices without us realizing it. America has always known fear — war, economic pain, uncertainty.
But today’s fear is different. It has been cultivated.
We live in a world of instability — jobs vanish, institutions falter, narratives shift by the hour. Every word we say, every action we take, is scrutinized, recorded and judged. The threat of digital mobs and public shaming doesn’t protect us; it paralyzes us. It breeds hesitation, then withdrawal, then division.
Fear isolates. It pushes us into ideological bunkers, surrounding us only with those who think like us. And when fear festers, it mutates. What begins as anxiety turns into resentment. Resentment hardens into hatred. Hatred strips away our ability to see others as people. The result is a society riven by suspicion and hostility.
There is no magic cure for fear. But there is an antidote: rules.
Rules are not shackles. They are the foundation of order. They define the boundaries that allow us to function, ensuring fairness and predictability. For over two centuries, the U.S. Constitution has been our guiding framework, enduring war, crisis and division. It has been tested, yet it holds.
But the rules that matter most — the ones that govern character — are also in peril. The loss of external structure is one thing. The loss of internal discipline is another. Too many have abandoned the basic principles of integrity, decency and respect. Without these, society does not simply fray; it collapses.
In war, there was once an unspoken rule: Officers were not to be deliberately targeted. Armies understood that without disciplined leadership, chaos would follow. Leadership, at its best, provides stability, guiding people through uncertainty with resolve and principle.
Today, our leaders — whether in politics, business or culture — are no longer simply attacked; they are torn down with glee. Worse, some have become the very architects of disorder, stoking division and resentment for personal gain. They do not lead; they inflame. They do not steady the ship; they rock it for effect. And in doing so, they set a precedent that character no longer matters, that outrage is a currency and that the path to power is not through integrity but through spectacle.
When our leaders abandon character, it does more than set a poor example. It accelerates decay. It tells people that principles are optional, that decency is weakness, that rules are for fools. It fosters a culture of fear, where hesitation replaces confidence, cynicism replaces trust and self-preservation replaces the courage to stand for what is right. When those at the top abandon the standards that hold society together, the rest of us, knowingly or not, follow suit. And when enough people do, the foundation doesn’t just erode. It crumbles. We cannot afford to let this stand.
The strength of our character is not defined by the absence of fear but by our ability to face it, to rise above it and to live, and lead, with integrity. It is in these moments that we show the true measure of our resolve.
Fear is not a force to be defeated by force alone, but by the steady adherence to rules that govern both our actions and our hearts. In this, we will find not just a defense against fear, but also the foundation of our strength.
Stanley McChrystal is the former commander of U.S. and International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan and the former commander of Joint Special Operations Command.
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: letters@nytimes.com.
Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp and Threads.
#Opinion #Gen #Stanley #McChrystal #Fear
