Do not mistake a fear of being condemned for righteousness. The former stems from and produces insecurity and anxiety, while the latter merely offers peace.

The answer is that [we] must learn to accept suffering, especially the suffering involved with anxiety. Suffering, consciously accepted, has the ability to catalyze people, shocking them into awareness. Suffering also compels us to choose what meaning it has for us. When we choose a meaning for our experiences, we create ourselves. When [we] actively use suffering as a positive force in [our] lives, [we] not only give meaning to [our] lives, [we] also sustain [our] awareness of [ourselves]. The person who is able to give meaning to his or her suffering is both the self who suffers and the self who transcends suffering. In that moment, the self is aware and unified. - Don Richard Riso, Personality Types