Campbell is really talking about asymmetry—the very thing that terrifies us often signals where we've neglected ourselves most acutely. We don't fear random caves; we fear the ones connected to our actual vulnerabilities, which means the treasure waiting there isn't abstract wisdom but something we desperately need. When someone avoids difficult conversations with a parent, or keeps postponing that creative project, the dread itself is a compass pointing toward what matters most. The insight that cuts deeper than the obvious is this: your fear is not a warning sign to heed but evidence of genuine importance, a map written by your own psyche.