Another analogy: Anxiety is like dirt, or the clutter in your house. You'll find bits of dirt on the subway platform. Some people's houses are awash in clutte

Another analogy: Anxiety is like dirt, or the clutter in your house. You'll find bits of dirt on the subway platform. Some people's houses are awash in clutter. We often seek to get rid of it, but it's not evil. It's not important, either, in the sense of functional utility. Sure, you can construct arguments about how it's ultimately necessary -- an Earth without dirt, for example, sounds rather sterile; does it have no trees? Where does the oxygen come from? -- but if there is anything unhealthy about your attitude towards dirt, I don't think emphasizing the importance of dirt in your daily life is likely to help. Mainly, we're stuck with it.