Roosevelt said this in regards to problems with the economy, but it also applies to life in general. In terms of the economy, when people have fear, they do not spend money, and the cycle of enonomic downturn continues. Therefore, there is nothing that really needs to be feared except for "fear itself." If people would ignore their fear and spend money regardless of how they see the economy, that spending would fuel the economy and there would be nothing to fear. It is a bit of a paradox.
It can also apply to life in general. When we fear something, that very fear keeps us from experiencing things and we miss out;the fear wins. It is better to face those fears head on. By doing so, the fear is eliminated and is no longer an issue. Hence, we only have "fear itself" to fear.
Get 48 Hours Free Access
See eNotes Ad-Free
Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts.
Already a member? Log in here.