Not 'Strong' - Just Afraid of the World

People can do amazing things under fear.  So if someone punches an attacker off of them with incredible force we don't call that superb strenght, we call it adrenaline.  I'm tempted to say that this is a metaphor for my life, but that wouldn't be complete honesty because on occasion I do literally punch people in the facial region - but that's beside the point.  The point is that I'm a person who looks 'strong' as a result of fear.  Fear of what?  Things I've learned by living vicariously through other people and a few tidbits of terror from my own life.  Just as we would accredit said someones strenght as adrenaline, the 'strong girl' I am could be just as easily accredited to being "afraid of the world".  And is it really independence if my functioning greatly depends on staying far away from feeling?  Hmm, this is certainly something to think about ...