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QUOTES ON FEAR

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.

BERTRAND RUSSELL, An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish

If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living.

SENECA, Epistles

The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

NELSON MANDELA, Autobiography

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT, First Inaugural Address, Mar. 4, 1933

The concessions of the weak are the concessions of fear.

EDMUND BURKE, speech on conciliation with America

Father, O father! what do we here
In this land of unbelief and fear?

WILLIAM BLAKE, The Land of Dreams

When we fear things I think that we wish for them ... every fear hides a wish.

DAVID MAMET, Edmond

Fear is the parent of cruelty.

JAMES ANTHONY FROUDE, Short Studies on Great Subjects

Cowards die many times before their deaths
The valiant never taste of death but once.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Julius Caesar

Is it that they fear the pain of death, or could it be they fear the joy of life?

TOAD THE WET SPROCKET, Pray Your Gods

Fear not, but trust in Providence
Wherever thou may'st be.

THOMAS HAYNES BAYLY, The Pilot

It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.

AUNG SAN SUU KYI, Freedom from Fear

No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.

EDMUND BURKE, On the Sublime and Beautiful

Fear is the enemy of logic.

FRANK SINATRA, quoted in The Way You Wear Your Hat

Living fearlessly is not the same thing as never being afraid. It's good to be afraid occasionally. Fear is a great teacher.

MICHAEL IGNATIEFF, O Magazine, Apr. 2007

Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

YODA, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

I will show you fear in a handful of dust.

T.S. ELIOT, The Waste Land

To him who is in fear everything rustles.

SOPHOCLES, Acrisius [fragment]

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.

JOSEPH CAMPBELL

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer's ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

JOHN NEWTON, Olney Hymns

All is well, tho' faith and form
Be sunder'd in the night of fear.

ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON, In Memoriam

There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid.

L. FRANK BAUM, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

BIBLE, Ecclesiastes 12:13

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.

H.P. LOVECRAFT, Supernatural Horror in Literature

If there is one thing which I would banish from the earth it is fear.

HENRY FORD, Theosophist Magazine, Feb. 1930

Fear has many eyes and can see things underground.

MIGUEL DE CERVANTES, Don Quixote

Fearlessness requires attention and receptivity--it takes focus to stand in the still eye of a tornado and not be swept away by it.

SUSAN PIVER, O Magazine, Apr. 2007

The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.

FRANK SINATRA, quoted in The Way You Wear Your Hat

Fear can't hurt you any more than a dream.

WILLIAM GOLDING, Lord of the Flies


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