I contracted "ursuphobia" on the AT in 2005, and this discussion is giving me a relapse.
Of course, it's all irrational, but that's beside the point. The reason bears scare the hell out of certain people so much, and other more deadly creatures (ex. spiders) are not as much cause for concern, is because with a bear your fate is completely outside of your own hands. A three-year old has every bit as much of a chance against "the wrong bear" as Mike Tyson.
Skywalker--Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail
How many bear deaths have occurred on the AT? How many compared with snake bites, car wrecks on the way to the trailhead, drowning and crib death? Fun talk, but seriously a non-issue.
How many black bear deaths were due to the victim running away and acting like prey, as with the now-eaten gal in NJ -- the only NJ bear death in history.