WATCHES
SEIZE THE DAY
Watches aren’t just for telling the time, they help us conquer our fears, too
What would life be like if we were never afraid? There would be definite advantages. With no fear of rejection you might finally write the groundbreaking novel that you’ve definitely got in you. Or with no nagging concerns you could reach a state of monklike nirvana and spend the rest of your life peacefully contemplating the wonders of the universe. Of course, it might not work out. Your book might be rubbish. Or you may wander blissfully in front of a bus.
We talk about fear as something to be conquered, to be overcome. But we don’t really know what we would do without it. People selling us watches and cars have long realised that people are drawn to fear. We are full of admiration for anyone who does brave things, like soldiers and racing drivers, and there is money to be made by the desire to be associated with anything that causes terror. Otherwise we wouldn’t be so fascinated by those viral videos of people flying down the side of mountains wearing cloth wings. If none of us had any fear, there would be no thrill for the people doing it or the people watching.