We all fear something—some things more, some less. And some fears begin to eat us up from the inside. The recently released book Mastering Fear tries to show how to change our attitude toward fear. Not to defeat it, because fear will remain, but to stop falling into a state of shock or paralysis because of it.
Formally, the book has two authors, but all the descriptions state that it’s a book by former Navy SEAL Brandon Webb, and the narrative itself is built as though it’s told by one person. So, let’s assume that John David Mann simply helped Webb “package” his thoughts properly.
Webb did indeed serve as a U.S. Navy SEAL, was a sniper, and later trained snipers. So, he’s immediately seen as someone who “knows no fear”—a real macho who eats fears for breakfast by the hundreds.
However, using his own past as an example, he shows that soldiers are simply trained to control their fear. He then shares his method for managing fear. He says: “You don’t need to fight fear. You need to accept it.”
I must say, the book indeed contains a number of valuable insights that help you look at your fears and your attitude toward them in a different light. Some of these ideas aren’t entirely original (for example, the concept of pushing negative thoughts aside and focusing on something else), but Webb firmly rejects the popular “get out of your comfort zone” mantra often touted by modern self-development coaches. He calls it a movement against one’s nature. However, he clarifies that expanding boundaries is necessary, but instead of calling it a “comfort zone,” it’s better to refer to it as a “zone of skill” or “zone of control,” and gradually expand it by training with increasingly difficult tasks, not being afraid to initially fail.
This is one of the key points in his program: accept fear, understand its essence, train for “scary” situations, and most importantly—make a decision and “take the step” once you’ve developed the skills to deal with fear.
The book is easy and engaging to read, but I noted several ambiguous aspects that prevent me from giving it a high rating.
First, this is a book by a successful person with a hundred-million-dollar business. When you’ve already reached such heights, it often seems like everything is due to your right decisions and methodology. But history shows that luck also plays a significant role. Many people could have done exactly the same things but ended up with less success simply due to circumstances.
Second, the author keeps repeating that fear is energy that should be used. But he never quite explains how to harness the energy of sudden fear and use it to your advantage. He talks about how to prepare and make decisions, yes, but not how to make fear your ally.
There are also two points in his stories that simplify his own struggle with fears in business.
- His family was extremely important to him. But when his first business collapsed, he lost his family—he divorced his wife, and she left him, taking the children with her. So, he was already at rock bottom; he had lost everything. The fear he once had was precisely about losing it all. But when you’re already in the “I have nothing left to lose” state, it’s arguably easier to overcome fear than when you’re still afraid of losing something.
- And finally, he managed to overcome his fears without falling into the chemical depths of depression, where many people, though they intellectually understand the problem, can no longer fight it. In such cases, fear often becomes unconscious and resists the “pull yourself together” approach. In this situation, Webb’s methods are less helpful, as rational thinking is not something that works for someone in the depths of depression.
Is it worth reading? If you’re interested in a different perspective on fear, then yes, it’s worth it. The book is not very long and is written in an upbeat style. But if a particular fear has already become your constant companion and master, these methods won’t help—you’ll need to seek professional help from psychologists in that case.
My rating: 3.5/5
