In the movie Runner Runner Ben Affleck’s character, Ivan Black, tells Justin Timberlake’s character, Richie Furst, the following line:
That little voice at the back of your head is not your conscience, it is fear.”
Black says it as a threat. He wants to control Furst and make him a puppet for the illegal gambling operation he is running.
The movie itself was just okay, but that line is very memorable. The thought of having a voice in our head is something we all can relate to. We don’t always know what is causing the voice. Is it our brain? Is it fear? Is it our belief system or our conscience trying to warn us?
Much like how the character Ivan Black is trying to control Richie Furst, the voice of fear is trying to control us.
Luckily we can turn that Black’s quote on its side and use it to our advantage. Once we recognize where the voice is coming from we can begin to strip it of its influence. The best way to do this is to remember that the little voice in the back of your head is only fear. It is not your conscience or your brain or anything really important that we should be listening to.
