Insensibility to Fear

If a man, from lack of love, or from pride, should bewholly without fear in any circumstance, he would be guilty of anevil. Such insensibility is in conflict with reason. If, however,insensibility comes merely from dullness of mind, which is not aman’s own fault, it is not a sinful insensibility.

Insensibility to fear is opposed to fortitude. Thevirtue of fortitude regulates or moderates fear, so that a manfaces grave danger in spite of it. But insensibility is a dullness,stupidity, or pride which has no fear to regulate. Fortitude facesdangers; to insensibility, there are no dangers.