The Sims 2 fears are just one way that the life sim represents your character’s many desires – specifically, their desires for things not to happen. The wants and fears system – often referred to as SWAF – gives your Sims up to three concurrent fears, such as being unlucky in love or not being able to pay their Sims rent. Much like wants, these will rotate out over time unless they’re manually locked in by the player – but if they are fulfilled, your Sim will face a hefty penalty to their aspiration bar.