But babies only fear two things - falling and a loud noise. As they grow they will accumulate a ghoulish cast of other fears, some rational and some not so rational. We may learn fear of the dark, fear of water, fear of closed places or open places, fear of heights, or fear of death. We may have a fear of hell, a fear of cats, a fear of Friday the thirteenth, or a fear of walking under a ladder. Almost everybody fears public speaking.
Some people fear a loss of their job.
Some people fear failure and rejection. Some people fear crowds, or ghosts. Franklin D. Roosevelt made one of the most famous statements about fear on the occasion of his first inaugural address on March 3, 1933. The country was deep in the throes of the Great Depression. Work was hard to find, and what work could be found did not pay enough to support a family.