Are we destined to live in fear for all eternity of the end of the world?

Ok it seems there was at least a buzz about a possible world ending today. There is still a buzz about 2012, when the calendar thingy ends. So I ask this. Are we as a race, always going to live in fear of another buzz day calculated by somebody, either based on religion, whatever Y2K was about, a calendar ending, or whatever other reason somebody can cook up? Please help because I want to think these days are silly, and we will be here for a long time, but I also don't want to be laughing on one of these dates before the locust swarms commence and the firey hail starts to fall..