It is clear that we have developed a society which depends on having the right amount of anxiety to make it work. Psychiatrists have been heard to say, "He didn't have enough anxiety to get well," indicating that, while we agree that too much anxiety is inimical to mental health, we have come to rely on anxiety to push and prod us into seeing the doctor about a symptom which may indicate cancer, into checking up on that old-life insurance policy which may have out-of-date clauses in it, into having a conference with Billy's teacher even though his report card looks all right.

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But if, then, our anxieties are actually signs of hope, why is there such a voice of discontent abroad in the land? I think this comes perhaps because our anxiety exists without an accompanying recognition of the tragedy which will always be inherent in human life, however well we build our world. We may banish hunger, and fear of sorcery, violence or secret police; we may bring up childeren who have learned to trust life and who have the spontaneity and curiosity necessary to devise ways of making trips to the moon; we cannot-- as we have tried to do-- banish death itself.

--from One Vote for this Age of Anxiety; Margaret Mead