That is pure social conditioning and it's prevalent throughout British and American society, at least. It isn't enough to be "brave" in the real sense - e.g. being able to act even though you are afraid. You have to be brave in the Hollywood / Media way - be afraid of nothing. Therefore if you are afraid, you are a coward. Which is disgusting thinking, in my mind.

My Dad had me in tears recently when he attacked my phobia of spiders. Now, personally, I feel I'm getting better at dealing with them - I've passed the giant spider web (with garden spider) twice a day for two weeks without once freaking out. Still afraid though! But he was attacking the fact that I still have the phobia. Because it isn't rational (and isn't that the definition of phobias?) I'm a coward in his eyes because I have the phobia, not brave because I still function in spite of it.