Feelings stem from a thought or idea, and fears are generally the root of some small fragment of truth that is exaggerated as the mind is tormented by personal anxieties. Emotions and feelings are similar to pain. Both are born inwardly and are invisible to the human eye, yet they eventually work their way to the surface, affecting a person outwardly. When someone I know is experiencing pain, I cannot personally feel it, yet that pain is real to them, therefore, it should be real to me. Whether a feeling or fear is grounded by fact or not, if it is real to someone, then it is a reality! It must be dealt with, just as physical pain might be acknowledged and then tenderly tended to.
This is called compassion.