Definition Essay: What Is Fear A Bad Thing?

What is fear? Merriam Webster defines fear as an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. Most people think of fear as the feeling they get when they are scare. All people have some kind of fear whether it be of snakes, spiders, darkness, clowns; maybe it a fear of social rebuke or, the neighbor next door, everyone has some sort of fear. Some fears are rational and some are rationalized, but is fear a bad thing? In Bears at Rasberry Time it says, “Fear. Three bears/ are not fear, mother/ and cubs come berrying/ in our neighborhood”(Carruth). Fears is subjective and it depends on how people see the world. What one person sees as three deadly bears another person sees as a cute family; A spider to one person
People say they keep people safe. A fear of snakes can protect are person from getting bit in the woods. A fear of getting robbed will keep people from going down alleys alone, or a fear of a tornado will make people get better protection for their house. The fear of a break in will make a person get protection for their house. Fears are not always bad though; some fears allow people to fear. Using the Cold War example, fear of the russians caused the space race allowing people were able to make it to space and grow technologically. Using the other example, social fear can push people to become better communicators, or in other case people will not say something mean in fear of the society hating them for
Fears do not exist just black, and white Fears are something else they exist in a gray area. People like think fears as black and white they are either all good or all bad. Some fears are good and some are bad. Going back to the Cold War example, At same same time some fears are good in some situations and bad at some situations. Some fears can cause catastrophic events, and create huge advances for the human race at the same time. Then some fears are irrational, but the person has rationalized the fear in their own head. The fears of the dark in a safe home for example is irrational; however if you take that same fear and put it in a different situation such on a camping trip the fear doesn’t seem so irrational anymore. So, are fears bad? The answer depends on the