We have all the evolutionary fear mechanisms built for survival threats, but in modern safe environments, we project those fears onto financial situations. Our brains are constantly monitoring for something to fear, and we have a kind of fear quota that gets filled by whatever's available.

The human brain evolved to detect life-threatening predators. In a modern environment with no saber-toothed tigers, that same fear machinery gets redirected onto financial threats, social rejection, and business risk. We have a 'fear quota' that will always be filled — the question is what it's filled with.