Fear

Explore 38 quotes about Fear

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

First Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Topic

Fear

Speaker

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Source

First Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1933 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Roosevelt, Franklin D. "First Inaugural Address." 4 Mar. 1933, East Portico, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

Current Citation

Roosevelt, Franklin D. "First Inaugral Address: Washington, DC, March 4, 1933." Great Speeches, edited by John Grafton. Dover, 1999.

Always do what you are afraid to do.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Essays: First Series (Emerson)

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Topic

Facing one's fears Fear Taking risks

Author

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Source

Heroism Essays: First Series (Emerson)

Medium

Essay

Statement Type

Advice

Language

English

Time

1841 1840s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Heroism." Essays: First Series. Boston: James Munroe and Company, 1841.

Current Citation

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Heroism." The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, edited by Brooks Atkinson. Modern Library, 2000.

Courage is as contagious as fear.

Susan Sontag

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Topic

Courage vs. fear Courage Fear

Speaker

Susan Sontag

Medium

Speech

Language

English

Time

2003 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Sontag, Susan. "Of Courage and Resistance." The Romero Award Ceremony. 30 Mar. 2003, Rothko Chapel, Houston, TX, USA. Keynote address.

I'd rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of the wet.

Jack London

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Topic

Living life to the fullest Jumping in Living in fear Fear

Speaker

Polly

Author

Jack London

Source

The Turtles of Tasman

Medium

Short story

Language

English

Time

1916 1910s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

London, Jack. The Turtles of Tasman. Macmillan, 1916.

We must travel in the direction of our fear.

John Berryman

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Topic

Facing one's fears Courage Fear

Author

John Berryman

Source

A Point of Age

Medium

Poem

Statement Type

Advice

Language

English

Time

1942 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Berryman, John. "A Point of Age." Poems. New Directions, 1942.

I'm not afraid of dying, I'm afraid of not trying.

Jay-Z

Beach Chair

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Topic

Fear

Speaker

Jay-Z

Source

Beach Chair Kingdom Come

Medium

Song

Genre

Hip-hop

Language

English

Time

2006 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Jay-Z and Chris Martin. "Beach Chair." Kingdom Come. Roc-A-Fella Records/Def Jam Recordings, 2006.

Extreme fear can neither fight nor fly.

William Shakespeare

The Rape of Lucrece

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Topic

Fear

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

The Rape of Lucrece

Medium

Poem

Genre

Narrative poem

Language

English

Time

1594 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. The Rape of Lucrece. London: Richard Field, 1594, I. 230.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Rape of Lucrece." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, I. 230.

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total Obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Frank Herbert

Dune

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Topic

Facing one's fears Fear

Author

Frank Herbert

Source

Dune

Genre

Science fiction

Language

English

Time

1965 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Herbert, Frank. Dune. Chilton Books, 1965. Originally published in Analog Magazine, Dec. 1963 - Feb. 1964.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear-not absence of fear.

Mark Twain

Pudd'nhead Wilson

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Topic

Courage vs. fear Courage Fear

Author

Mark Twain

Source

Pudd'nhead Wilson

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1894 1890s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Twain, Mark. "Pudd'nhead Wilson." The Century Magazine, Nov. 1893-Oct. 1894.

Current Citation

Twain, Mark. "Pudd'nhead Wilson." Pudd'nHead Wilson and Other Tales, edited by R.D. Gooder. Oxford University Press, 2009.

I have a real problem with heights.

Hook

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Topic

Fear of heights Fear

Speaker

Peter Banning

Actor

Robin Williams

Source

Hook

Medium

Film

Genre

Adventure (film) Adventure

Language

English

Time

1991 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Hook. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment, 1991.

Let them hate, so long as they fear.

Caligula

Quoted in Lives of the Caesars, by Suetonius

More information about this quote

Topic

Fear in politics Hate Fear Authoritarianism

Speaker

Caligula

Author

Suetonius

Source

Lives of the Caesars

Genre

Biography Historical literature

Language

Latin

Time

1st century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 0

Citation

Accius, Lucius. Atreus. c. 86 BC, Rome, Italy.

He folded his fear into a perfect rose. He held it out in the palm of his hand. She took it from him and put it in her hair.

Arundhati Roy

The God of Small Things

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Topic

Vulnerability Fear

Author

Arundhati Roy

Source

The God of Small Things

Medium

Novel

Genre

Post-colonial literature

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1997 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. Random House, 1997, ch. 21.

Leave all things behind, and come unto me for thy salvation. I will make thee free from this bondage of sins. Fear no more.

Bhagavad Gita

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Topic

Salvation Freedom Fear Sin Letting go

Source

Bhagavad Gita

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Statement Type

Orders and commands

Language

Sanskrit

Time

200 BC 200s BC 3rd century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita. c. 200 BCE, ch. 18, v. 66.

Current Citation

Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita, translated W. J. Johnson. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 18, v. 66.

Fear cannot be without hope nor hope without fear.

Baruch Spinoza

Ethics

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Topic

Hope Fear Yin and yang

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Source

Ethics

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Ethica, Ordine Geometrico Desmonstrata [Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order]. 1677, pt. 3, def. 13, explanation.

Current Citation

Spinoza, Benedict. Ethics, translated by Michael Silverthorne and Matthew J. Kinser. Cambridge University Press, 2018, pt. 3, def. 13, explanation.

We must make an idol of our fear, and that idol we shall call god.

The Seventh Seal

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Topic

Fear Nature of God God

Speaker

Antonius Block

Actor

Max von Sydow

Source

The Seventh Seal

Medium

Film

Genre

Fantasy drama (film) Drama (film) Fantasy drama Drama

Language

Swedish

Time

1957 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Det sjunde inseglet [The Seventh Seal]. Directed by Ingmar Bergman, Svensk Filmindustri, 1957.

If evils come not,
Then our fears are vain;
And if they do,
Fear but augments the pain.

Poor Richard (Benjamin Franklin)

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Topic

Anxiety Fear

Author

Poor Richard (Benjamin Franklin)

Source

Poor Richard's Almanack

Medium

Almanac

Statement Type

Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

Language

English

Time

1741 1740s 18th century

Era

Colonial America

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Franklin, Benjamin [published as Richard Saunders]. Poor Richard's Almanack. Philadelphia, 1741.

Current Citation

Franklin, Benjamin. "Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1741." Benjamin Franklin: Autobiography, Poor Richard, and Later Writings, edited by J. A. Leo Lemay. Library of America, 2005.

I have spent my whole life scared, frightened of things that could happen, might happen, might not happen. 50 years I spent like that, finding myself awake at 3 in the morning. But, you know what? Ever since my diagnosis, I sleep just fine. I came to realize it's that fear that's the worst of it. That's the real enemy.

Walter White

Breaking Bad

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Topic

Living in fear Overcoming fear Fear

Speaker

Walter White

Actor

Bryan Cranston

Source

Breaking Bad

Medium

TV program

Genre

Crime (TV) Drama (TV) Crime Drama

Language

English

Time

2009 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

"Better Call Saul." Breaking Bad, written by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, directed by Terry McDonough, season 2, episode 8, High Bridge Productions and Gran Via Productions, 2009.

Neither anarchy nor tyranny—this I counsel my citizens to support and respect, and not to drive fear wholly out of the city. For who among mortals, if he fears nothing, is righteous?

Aeschylus

The Eumenides

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Topic

Deterring crime Crime Fear Justice Human nature

Speaker

Athena

Author

Aeschylus

Source

The Eumenides

Medium

Play

Genre

Tragic play Greek theater

Statement Type

Question

Language

Greek

Time

458 BC 450s BC 5th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Aeschylus. The Eumenides. 458 BC, The Dionysia, Athens, Greece.

Current Citation

Aeschylus. "The Eumenides." The Oresteia: Agamemnon; The Libation Bearers; The Eumenides, edited and translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin Classics, 1984.

Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true. So, it's simple, you project strength to avoid conflict.

Point Break

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Topic

Freezing in fear Fear

Speaker

Bodhi

Actor

Patrick Swayze

Source

Point Break

Medium

Film

Genre

Action (film) Crime (film) Action Crime

Statement Type

Paradox

Language

English

Time

1991 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Point Break. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Johnny Utah Productions/Largo Entertainment, 1991.

Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it?

The Karate Kid

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Topic

Fear

Speaker

Kreese

Actor

Martin Kove

Source

The Karate Kid

Medium

Film

Genre

Martial arts (film) Drama (film) Martial arts Drama

Language

English

Time

1984 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Karate Kid. Directed by John G. Avildsen, Delphi II Productions/Jerry Weintraub Productions, 1984.