Fear of the World: Unrealistic Vs. Healthy Apprehension

Norwegian Edvard Munch’s famous painting, “The Scream.”

Paying close attention to the news, it is easy to be paralyzed by reactionary terror. My students in the Middle East were afraid to visit the US for fear of

a) anti-Muslim hatred;

b) mass shootings.

I assured them they would mostly likely be safe. I told the female students that they could visit most parts of the US for a couple of weeks wearing a scarf and