Fear

Perhaps the greatest and most terrible power possessed by the darkness, is the ability it has to make itself appear greater and more terrible than it really is. Like certain lizards whose collars spread, or cats whose backs arch, giving them the appearance of larger creatures when confronted, evil seeks to present a more awful face than it has. The shadows of demons frequently loom larger and darker than the demons themselves, and even their countenances are deceptively hideous. They rarely swallow the souls who do battle with them; but they gobble up, by the millions, the ones who stand frozen, overwhelmed at the sight of the grotesque.

There is no evil in the world which does not pass, sooner or later, into good. But the evil which remains evil for the longest stretch of time is that evil which has yet to -- and may never -- befall us; and which accosts us only in the form of fear. Tragedy holds many in it's grip, but the fear of tragedy holds many more still. For every misfortune we fall prey to, there are a thousand we fear. This is why, even in the midst of what seems like the most horrible catastrophe, we may be struck with a sudden feeling of relief. Some part of us relaxes, as if to say, "Finally, it has happened. At last, I can stop fearing it."