"How come you ain't dead?"
I've had three very close encounters of the bruin kind, and so far have never been afraid. Yesterday at one point I was 8 feet from the bear and discovered that I was about 4 feet from my rifle, which I leaned against a tree while I took my pack off. I felt a little anxious about what he would do, but I can't say I was ever afraid. Maybe stoopid, yes, but not afraid.
Black bears are almost never hostile toward man. When they are, it's usually a campground situation.
Steve