Fear is a cloak which old men huddle about their love, as if to keep it warm.
—William Wordsworth (1770–1850) English Poet
There is not a truth existing which I fear or would wish unknown to the whole world.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
A warrior never worries about his fear.
—Carlos Castaneda (1925–98) Peruvian-born American Anthropologist, Author
Every time you win, it diminishes the fear a little bit. You never really cancel the fear of losing; you keep challenging it.
—Arthur Ashe (1943–93) American Tennis Player
We must do the work to prove our fears groundless, otherwise it is our fears that will gain ground and our lives will be spent in their service.
—Guy Finley
Fear could never make a virtue.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
When you face your fear, most of the time you will discover that it was not really such a big threat after all. We all need some form of deeply rooted, powerful motivation—it empowers us to overcome obstacles so we can live our dreams.
—Les Brown
Fear of becoming a ‘has-been’ keeps some people from becoming anything.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
Anger is your clue that you are not taking responsibility.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
Is there any sex-distinction in the Atman (Self)? Out with the differentiation between man and woman—all is Atman! Give up the identification with the body, and stand up!
—Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) Indian Hindu Monk, Mystic
Why be miserable when you can be happy?
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope.
—Baruch Spinoza (1632–77) Dutch Philosopher, Theologian
When we let someone be who they are without trying to change them, that is giving away love. When we trust that someone can handle his or her own life, and act accordingly, that is giving away love.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.
—George S. Patton (1885–1945) American Military Leader
People living deeply have no fear of death.
—Anais Nin (1903–77) French-American Essayist
All fear is painful, and when it conduces not to safety, is painful without use.—Every consideration, therefore, by which groundless terrors may be removed, adds something to human happiness.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
I’m just suggesting that when you’re faced with fear and anxiety, don’t medicate. Meditate instead.
—Russell Simmons (b.1957) American Music Promoter
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
Someday, in the moment of death, your whole life will pass before you. In a few fractions of a second—because time no longer applies—you will see many incidents from your life in order to learn. You will review your life with two questions in your consciousness: Could I have shown a little more courage in these moments? Could I have shown a little more love? You will see where you let fear stop you from expressing who you are, how you feel, or what you need. You will see whether you were able to expand into these moments, just a little, to show love, or whether you contracted.
—Dan Millman (b.1946) American Children’s Books Writer, Sportsperson
It is not death or pain that is to be dreaded, but the fear of pain or death.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
The thing we fear we bring to pass.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence.
—Pope John Paul II (1920–2005) Polish Catholic Religious Leader
Fear is faith that it won’t work out.
—Unknown
Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death.
—Unknown
That fear may reach all, punish but few.
—Common Proverb
When we wake up to the potential power within, our impulse is to grab it all “quick”. The more we grab, the more it seems to elude us. There is no quick. There are quick—and wonderful—seminars, workshops, books, and audios that give you tools, but they are not quick tools. They are to be used and mastered throughout a lifetime.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
In accumulating property for ourselves or our posterity, in founding a family or a state, or acquiring fame even, we are mortal; but in dealing with truth we are immortal, and need fear no change nor accident.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
The first duty of man is to conquer fear; he must get rid of it, he cannot act till then.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
Religion is doing; a man does not merely think his religion or feel it, he “lives” his religion as much as he is able, otherwise it is not religion but fantasy or philosophy.
—Georges Gurdjieff (1877–1949) Armenian Spiritual Leader, Occultist
Terror is as much a part of the concept of truth as runniness is of the concept of jam. We wouldn’t like jam if it didn’t, by its very nature, ooze. We wouldn’t like truth if it wasn’t sticky, if, from time to time, it didn’t ooze blood.
—Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007) French Sociologist, Philosopher