What is Fear?

If  you were to look up the word fear it would be defined as,"an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat."  So I ask you, what is fear?  Fear may mean to you failing a test.  Fear may symbolize an animal that always gets you to panic when you think of it.  For example, the fear of spiders is known as arachnophobia.  Some people are afraid of planes and go into a hysteria filled with trepidation whenever they are on a plane.  People worry about their family and fear for them when they are not well. 
However, sometimes, people welcome fear with open arms.  How many of you love to open up a good Stephen King novel and read it at night?  Sometimes we choose to watch a scary movie in order to get a good thrill.  I, personally think it is exciting to watch it at night. 

 

If the idea of fear is associated with an unpleasant emotion, then why do we welcome it in our home; on our television and our novels.   I guess as long as we use fear as a fictitious fun escape with the sole purpose of entertaining ourselves, then we can see fear as a unearthly fantasy.  As FDR said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."