The Antonym of Anxiety

I remember when I was preparing for the SATs (a long time ago!), a book I was reading said that the best way to test if someone knew the meaning of a word was to ask for it’s antonym, or its opposite.  The text argued that a word can have a direct opposite, but a synonym, any word with similar meaning, can’t capture the base word’s precise nuance.  By definition, a synonym can be similar and come close to the meaning, but it is never exact.  So, the test asked for antonyms.  It made sense.

Many people today tell me they are anxious about the future.  They worry about divisions in our country and what they see on the news.  It is, indeed, an anxious time.  What exactly is this anxiety?  And what is the remedy?  The answer to both these questions may be in what we define as the antonym of anxiety.

Some might suggest that the antonym of anxiety is calmness or serenity.  In fact, a thesaurus I consulted gave these word’s as antonyms for anxiety.  I don’t think these words quite capture the issue of anxiety though.  One may be calm and serene about something, and therefore not feel anxiety.  But, the source of the anxiety remains regardless of how one feels about it.  Being calm or serene does nothing to resolve the cause of the trouble, and while the cause remains, the anxiety is likely to return.

From a Jewish and spiritual perspective, I therefore prefer a different antonym for anxiety: faith.  Anxiety is the feeling that the given situation is bad, and will not improve.  Anxiety is the fear that injury and harm are inevitable.  Faith is the belief that there is hope and meaning, and conditions will improve.  We Jews see ourselves as the people of hope and faith.  Even in the dire situations we have experienced as a people through our history, we have always faced anxiety with faith.  And as Jews, when we have faith, we act.

If you are feeling anxious about the world, I suggest fighting that feeling with something that gives you faith.  Whether it’s love of family and friends, or prayer, or working for social justice, or giving tzedakah (in this context, charity), or studying sacred text, anxiety is diminished by actions that confirm our faith in ourselves, each other, and our God.  Our endeavors may not always succeed, and we may experience some pain and trouble, but an ever renewing faith allows us to pick ourselves back off the ground when we are knocked down and meet the future with determination to try again.