I don't take the word seriously. It's been misused frequently by those wishing to point fingers. Usually, I consider the speaker's (of the word) consciousness to be in the beginner range when I hear it being thrown around in comments & forums.

Nothing scares me that I read. I am not holding anyone responsible for the things that do frighten me. If I thought like that, my dentist would be a fear-mongerer!

I vote to ban the blaming word and take responsibility for our own feeling of saftey. Fear and Doom are kind of amusing if you're in the mood for that mind-set. Why limit things? We are not children. I like to color outside the lines...