Love Versus Fear

At times, it has been difficult for me to put my finger on any sort of definition of what it is to act lovingly versus reacting out of fear, so I have resorted to using a simple analogy.  To me, acting out of love has the feeling of a clear mountain stream; a feeling of clarity, cleansing and purity.  On the other hand, reacting to fear or even encountering it in someone or something else feels like a turbid, cloudy lake.  Fear feels polluted and less cleansing, though difficult to define.