Paranoid Pike’s Perspective on Fear and Anxiety

Understanding Human Anxiety

During my time in Basic Training in the U.S. Army, I earned the nickname "Paranoid Pike" or "PP" due to my constant fear and anxiety while transitioning from civilian to soldier. This moniker reflected my struggle, and writing and releasing my first book, A Soldier Against All Odds, was a similarly anxiety-inducing experience. I share this on the testimonial page at the very beginning, underscoring that I am still not immune to fear.

One of the most enlightening books on fear I’ve read is "The Science of Fear" by Daniel Gardner. He delves into numerous irrational fears that often plague us. Drawing from my own experiences, I’ve had to confront fear on various occasions. In the army, we had rumor control officers whose job was to dispel misinformation among the troops—a necessity for soldiers prone to "MSU" (make shit up) when idle.

Throughout my life, I’ve encountered a variety of fears and conspiracy theories. For example, some believed the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by our government rather than terrorists. Similarly, there were claims that the invasion of Iraq was driven by a desire for oil (sometimes I even joke, "I wish we had taken the oil"). These false fears can affect anyone. Even my wife, Beverly, believes Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks, is still alive.

Here’s a little-known fact: I worked with the Centers for Disease Control for about two years and with the COVID task force. During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous conspiracy theories emerged, such as the vaccine being a government tracking device or a sterilization tool intended to reduce the human population. Even today, many believe the vaccine is part of a government conspiracy to kill us all.

In Korea, where I served for over six years, there were fears about military base closures due to the avian flu, with concerns it might spread to humans. While birds were indeed falling from the sky, the issue was confined to birds, not humans.

John Stossel, the investigative reporter, addressed such fears in his special, "Why Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?" His observations, first aired decades ago, remain relevant today and likely will continue to be in the future. Fear is a survival mechanism inherited from our ancestors, meant to protect us from predators, but in modern times, it can be triggered by much less tangible threats.

Why do we persist in scaring ourselves to death? Stossel’s insights still hold true today and will likely continue to do so for years to come.

These are just some thoughts from PP, as they called me in Basic Training, "Paranoid Pike."

Jason Pike

Veteran / Author, A Soldier Against All Odds

jasonpike.org