Epidemics arenot only a health problem, they also involve social, cultural, political, financial and even psychological processes, which require complex and multidimensional approaches. After delving into the concept of the «epidemic of fear» and its unconscious roots, the article examines the «vexata quaestio» as to whether this pandemic has caused negative repercussions on the social structure and culture, or whether it has merely unmasked its pre-existing flaws, and considers the need to construct reflective spaces capable of helping people to orient themselves amidst uncertainty, avoiding the risk of defensive action at the mercy of phantasms and prejudices. In conclusion, the idea is postulated that psychoanalytic thinking, especially in its group-and socio-analytic declinations, can be an effective aid in facing fear and inspiring «good enough» leadership that is capable of governing situations of uncertainty by resorting to «negative capability».

KEYWORDS: Fear epidemic, group, leadership, negative capability, stigmatisation.