Part of what shaped my attitude about bears was the native folklore I heard when I was young: Were there stories of brave men hunting bears together, with nothing but the simple bows & spears they had at the time? Yes; bears were well respected, and a successful hunt brought prestige. Were there stories of bears stalking or mauling people, or at least being a little terrorizing? Not that I remember. I do remember a story or two about them reacting in annoyance to people who provoke them.

I think bears usually go about their daily business without much thought about humans. Unless we scare them, provoke them, or unwittingly tempt them with our enticingly sweet & salty foods, we have little to worry about from bears. That said, I like to give them plenty of warning that humans are in the area, I keep my food stashed well, and I pack some heat when I'm in the outdoors. I like to go about my daily business without much thought about bears, but I do it responsibly.