Understanding Fear and Anxiety Through Home Repairs

In everyday life, we often use the words "fear" and "anxiety" interchangeably, as if they describe the same feeling. But understanding the difference between them can be key to dealing with our inner struggles.

Psychologist Martin Seligman once offered a precise distinction: fear is an emotional state with a clear object—like being afraid of a mad dog. Anxiety, on the other hand, is more chronic and vague, often without a specific target.

This difference might sound academic, but it has real-life significance. The most important feature of fear is that it has an endpoint. When the dog runs away, your fear disappears. Anxiety is different—it’s like a fog with no boundaries, making it hard to find a way out.

Let me illustrate this with a personal example. During this year’s rainy season, my roof was damaged by water. For the first few days, I was deeply anxious—I didn’t know how bad the damage was, how much repairs would cost, or who to call for help. This uncertainty kept me up at night, because I was facing a vague, boundless problem.

But once I started taking action and contacted a few repair companies, something changed. My anxiety turned into fear—specifically, fear of high repair costs. While this fear was still uncomfortable, it had a clear object and boundaries. I knew what I was afraid of, and I knew it could be resolved.

Sure enough, when I received several quotes and found some within my budget, even that fear disappeared. The problem had a concrete solution, the uncertainty was gone, and my peace of mind returned.

This experience helped me truly appreciate Seligman’s insight: uncertainty is the most insidious root of anxiety. When we don’t know the shape or limits of a problem, our imagination turns it into a monster. But once we can name, define, and measure the problem, it shifts from boundless anxiety to bounded fear—and then, it can be solved.

So next time you feel uneasy, ask yourself: am I experiencing fear or anxiety? If it’s anxiety, can I gather information or make a plan to turn it into a specific fear? Then, work on resolving that fear. Often, this shift is the first step out of distress.