Panic at the thought of doing a thing is a challenge to do it.

The line treats fear not as a stop sign but as a diagnostic: if merely imagining an action produces panic, that reaction may indicate the action matters—because it threatens comfort, identity, or perceived safety. Haskins reframes anxiety as a summons to courage and growth, implying that avoidance strengthens fear while deliberate engagement weakens it. The “challenge” language also suggests a competitive, self-testing ethic: the self is called to prove its agency by doing precisely what feels daunting. In modern terms, it aligns with exposure-based approaches to anxiety and with the idea that meaningful goals often sit just beyond the edge of one’s comfort zone.