Freedom has a terrifying aspect

A hidden tendency of the human mind is to escape from freedom. Freedom has a terrifying aspect. It wears the mask of dread. For those who are not emotionally mature, it arouses unbearable feelings of anxiety and insecurity. It produces a kind of vertigo.
So people are usually eager to settle down with a set of fixed ideas. They seek security in some well-established castle of philosophical thinking, or religious creed or political ideology. They yearn to hand over the burden of life to some authority figure - to a prophet, messiah, avatara (a god coming to earth in human disguise) or benevolent dictator - so that they may live happily ever after.
This brings, no doubt, some peace of mind. But it is the peace of spiritual stagnation. It blocks further growth  of personality. It sets in motion the process of decay and stagnation.

Haridas Chaudhuri quoted in "A selection of conscious and unconscious yoga"