Fear has gotten a bad name.
To say that one is afraid is like admitting a guilty pleasure, to dare succumb to fear is admit that one is of a lesser order than those who don't. Fear is seen as the enemy and fear is seen as the feeling that must be destroyed.
However fear is just like any other emotion, it serves a purpose. In fact, fear is the most important of all emotions because it is the first half of self-preservation. Without fear, the human race could never have survived.
Fear is also superior to other emotions in that it's instinctual, unlike most other emotions we feel it for apparently no reason, but more often than not, the reason introduces itself in a prompt fashion .Fear operates on that gut level that no one can explain but everyone know it exists and everyone knows it's real.
Those without fear die young as they should. For those who are stupid enough to ignore what nature has given them will certainly meet their end.
That's not to say that one should cower before fear like some frightened mouse. People who do that may live long lives but they will certainly be empty lives. However, one needs to use fear to their advantage, heed the warning and move forward with caution. Usually an awareness of fear and an acknowledgement of it's accuracy is all that one needs to avoid a bad situation.
However, despite the good fear bring to us, the many ways it saves us and the many ways we can use it, it will always be considered a bad thing. I for one see it as nature in action. If an animal flees at the sound of a shotgun blast, a human should feel no worse for doing the same.
So rather than condemning fear, let's use it like we would any other emotion, for the betterment and the prolonging of our lives. Because if we don't, then we WILL have something to fear.
