Not really scared, more like they're afraid of the fact that they've got to risk their money in hopes of making profit, not to mention that if you really don't know how to trade, you're definitely going to get scared and it's going to be a really bad idea for you to ignore that fear knowing it's a logical thing to fear at then you're going to lose a lot of money in trading. I think the risk involved in trading is enough reason for why people are scared of trading.
this, not all people could tolerate risk there are even people that solely choose to become an employee entire life avoiding any means of getting more income out of business because they afraid of fail and losing money meanwhile the entire thing about business involves losing and gaining money some people just not really fated for that.
its more clearer when we try to trade or invest, we see the percentage of unrealized gain or loss, for the newbies, they'd be so focused on thinking about that to the point where they are over thinking and it could potentially harm their psychology.
trading is no joke, it always involves anxioussness of losing money and all the possible scenarious out there that amounts to hundred and thinking that each of these scenario could be playing out just thinking of it is already suffocating.
not to mention that there has been recent study that most of traders aren't in profit which kinda speaks a lot about the courage needed to start trading, some people already so scared by thinking of that study.
I think if you're not really used with risk or don't want to expose yourself with risk trading could be just a disaster for you, on the opposite side, trading could be a good adrenaline for people that are risk tolerant and not easily anxious.
the kind of people that already so used with risk that taking risk is just another meal for them.