I've commented before that there is nothing wrong with anxiety in and of itself, as long as you manage your anxiety, instead of your anxiety driving you. It has valuable functions for individual survival and communal harmony. This is where CBT and related therapies come in: they provide individuals with tools for putting anxiety in its place.
And to throw in another spin on the long-term perspective: one of my sibs has an anxious temperament, which I'm sure felt like an impediment in childhood. As an adult, however, this sib is in a professional field where clients typically are dealing with anxieties of their own, often regarding fears of a very tangible nature. My sib has channeled the anxious temperament into a professional asset, by telling clients, "you don't have to worry about this--I will." To which these clients in crisis generally respond well.
