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Sure paralysis sometimes causes inaction but sometimes inaction is an affirmative decision to take no action. That isn’t fear, that’s just strategy.

In fact the single best negotiation advice I ever got was to say nothing when you make an ask and the other side turns you down. Often the uncomfortable silence, even just for a few seconds, will cause the other person to instinctively walk back their firm no and start offering other possible solutions.

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It may help to consider the opposite of fear, which is courage or daring, or even foolishness.

You can be described as courageous by staying at home, sure, but you also might be fearful. Are there more dangers at home? Is the risk & reward both higher and the ratio higher? I think those are the questions that ultimately determine the answer.

Given that there may be a huge negative to taking action however instead of inaction seems to suggest that it is fear by that criteria.

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