Fear: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

FEAR is an acronym in the English language for 

"False Evidence Appearing Real"”

Over 80 percent of our fears never come true. This means, most people spend about eighty percent of their time worrying about stuff that  probably will never happen to them.

Face your fear, face the evidence, evaluate the possible outcome, and unless there is a real and reasonable probability of being physically or emotionally hurt, or hurting someone else,  if you are "just afraid", go ahead, and "just DO IT!"

However, and it is a BIG HOWEVER:

Keep in mind, that individuals who suffer from  Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder or Phobias will not benefit from such advice:  they are no more capable of  "JUST DOING" what they are afraid of   than a person without phobias or anxiety disorder would be willing to jump out of an airplane at an altitude of 10,000 kms without a parachute! 

Fear is not a negative emotion as per se: it is quite reasonable to be afraid when in the middle of a dangerous situation, for example in a middle of a battle field, as seen in this "rendition" of Van Gogh's famous painting, The Scream:

However, for most people, it would be considered irrational to be extremely afraid of famous people (and there is a phobia for that!)

When a fear is irrational, persistent, and intense, involving certain situations, people, activities, anything or anybody.  it is known as  a phobia. (For an extensive list of 534  phobias, some common, some bizarre, check here)

If you know someone, or if you think you might be suffering from a phobia, Anxiety Disorder or Panic Disorder, seek professional help: there are many very effective treatment options available, that might include any or a combination of medication, meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, and more.

For an extensive list of phobias, (534 of them) click here. (unless you suffer from clickophobia)