I have found that being afraid of failure or rejection can both be only a symptom of something else - fear of success.
Striving for any type of accomplishment may carry the dread of not getting there or being laughed at for getting there. It also, however, carries the dread of not being up to the challenges that follow said success. We are comfortable doing things that we are prepared for and accustomed to, but not so much being out in the open and certainly not investing a lot of energy into being out in the open.
Put differently, I think that we often are afraid of failing our challenges; But actual anxiety, the one that sits below the surface and sabotages you against your will, often stems from the dread of failing future challenges. A known and anticipated failure now is less painful than an unknown, but certainly bigger failure in the future.
I'd like to unpack that concept of "fear of success".
No one is likely to fear the commonly visualized trappings of success - money and material wealth, adoring fans, love pouring in from everywhere.
If people fear some aspects of success, they are likely to be things associated with visibility. Like the responsibility to keep executing and following up, the scrutiny, the potential for being a one hit wonder, the detractors and "haters".
But generally, "fear of failure" can be explained simply by ... fear of failure.
Then let me rephrase it as "fear of the merely postponed, but now possibly more destructive failure".
I think calling it "fear of success" is valuable because it helps shift your viewpoint on it - instead of fearing defeat, it opens up what you should actually care about - what happens after you either win or lose the thing you are anxious about.
The fear of rejection isn't something to be studied or perplexed over as much as challenged head on.
I've done the Rejection Therapy 30 day challenge http://rejectiontherapy.com and it revealed some of the games my mind uses to disguise the truth about my fears and motives.
Some of my fears weren't really the fear of rejection as I thought but deeper issues. I had no idea until I started turning over some rocks and seeing what was underneath. I feel like now I understand what the real issues are. I know myself better.
Striving for any type of accomplishment may carry the dread of not getting there or being laughed at for getting there. It also, however, carries the dread of not being up to the challenges that follow said success. We are comfortable doing things that we are prepared for and accustomed to, but not so much being out in the open and certainly not investing a lot of energy into being out in the open.
Put differently, I think that we often are afraid of failing our challenges; But actual anxiety, the one that sits below the surface and sabotages you against your will, often stems from the dread of failing future challenges. A known and anticipated failure now is less painful than an unknown, but certainly bigger failure in the future.