Why Worry When You Can Pray?
Human beings are naturally inclined to worry. Perhaps it is an evolutionary holdover from more dangerous times, when a lack of vigilance could easily lead to ruin. And even now, there are plenty of things to worry about, as every newscast is quick to remind us. The philosopher George Santayana claimed that one of the tenets of what he called “animal faith” is that there are things in the world that we can eat, and things in the world that can eat us! This is probably why all successful species have developed successful defenses, including effective vigilance, or even hyper-vigilance. But whereas squirrels and other small animals need to be hyper-vigilant, since hawks and cats are effective predators, human beings have created for ourselves a generally safe environment, and unless you are crossing a busy street, or working with potentially dangerous equipment, there probably isn’t much you need to worry about right now. All the major religions tell us to chill out, or in religious language, to trust in God. The natural tendency to worry and be vigilant is adaptive in some environments, but supremely maladaptive in others. Therefore, stop worrying. Your next meal is probably in the refrigerator. You have clothes and a roof over your head, and really, what more do you need?
