GenuineSarcasm : If I had a nickel for every thought-provoking comment on here, I would have two nickels.
Just another way that money is a measuring device.
But in all seriousness, I think that's a fair assessment: nobody can do anything in this society without money. Money is a means to an end, a resource we place arguably too much value on—its value diminishes inversely proportional to how much is in circulation. Due to the value we impress on it, money is used for everything; thus, the amount someone has is an indicator of the choices available to them.
It takes money to go to school and further one's education. It takes money to start up a business. It takes money to move to another residence. It takes money that some people simply don't have, meaning they don't have as many options as wealthier folk have.

GenuineSarcasm : How do you take the First Step to overcome trading fears and build confidence?
There are many different ways to answer this, as it depends on your specific fear. There isn't much you can really do about the volatility of the stock market, for example, but learning about trends and how to analyse charts can help you to better understand the probable outcomes.
I've been investing in a few penny stocks—stocks that sell for fractions of a dollar. Some general advice if you're going to go this route is to look at the statistics of the stocks you're considering—I always note the 52wk High and 52wk Low, as well as the Historical High, in addition to the current High and Low, since that's a pretty decent indicator of the bounds you can reasonably expect. I don't put any money into penny stocks whose 52wk High is only three times as much as its 52wk Low; it's not worth it, in my opinion.
Something people need to understand about the market is that it's a cyclical process—there will always be rebounds, so you need not panic if you buy and the price drops. Even so, to mitigate that potential loss, I typically buy shares in small amounts, around ten or twenty at once, specifically so I have money to buy more if the price goes down even further. Then I wait to cash out, and I sell them in small amounts for the same reason.
Most of the fear lies in the fact that what you put into the market could be lost, and there is always the possibility of that happening. Since you cannot eliminate that risk, the best thing to do is budget how much you can reasonably afford to lose in the hopes of gaining. In addition to that, do your research and actively learn about the market! There are many informative articles, sites, and videos that detail the ins and outs of the trade, and you can also refine that to learn more about the various charts and techniques that analysts use.
Above all else, just try to enjoy the hands-on learning experience!