Named must your fear be before banish it you can.
—Yoda Character In ‘Star Wars’
Things done well and with care, exempt themselves from fear.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
I sought the Lord, and He heard me. And delivered me from all my fears.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
He has not learned the first lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.
—German Proverb
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
The fear of life is the favorite disease of the 20th century.
—William Lyon Phelps (1865–1943) American Author, Critic, Scholar
When a man has fulfilled all four of these requisites—to be wide awake, to have fear, respect, and absolute assurance—there are no mistakes for which he will have to account; under such conditions his actions lose the blundering quality of the acts of a fool. If such a man fails, or suffers a defeat, he will have lost only a battle, and there will be no pitiful regrets over that.
—Carlos Castaneda (1925–98) Peruvian-born American Anthropologist, Author
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
Fear is a great instructor.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Only with absolute fearlessness can we slay the dragons of mediocrity that invade our gardens.
—John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946) English Economist
But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed, Though I have seen my head grown slightly bald brought in upon a platter,
I am no prophet—and here’s no great matter;
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,
And in short, I was afraid.
—T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) American-born British Poet, Dramatist, Literary Critic
A fool without fear is sometimes wiser than an angel with fear.
—Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor (1879–1964) American-born British Politician
An inferiority complex is a conviction by a jury of your fears.
—Indian Proverb
People die of fright and live of confidence.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
All we are asked to bear we can bear. That is a law of the spiritual life. The only hindrance to the working of this law, as of all benign laws, is fear.
—Elizabeth Goudge (1900–84) English Novelist
The craven’s fear is but selfishness, like his merriment.
—John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–92) American Quaker Poet, Abolitionist
To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you around the tail and swing you around is another.
—Katherine Paterson (b.1932) American Novelist, Writer
To do anything truly worth doing, I must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in with gusto and scramble through as well as I can.
—Og Mandino (1923–96) American Self-Help Author
Remember that underlying all our fears is a lack of trust in ourselves.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
When a difficult situation comes into your life, it is possible to tune in to your mind and say, “Okay, choose”. Are you going to make yourself miserable or content? Are you going to visualize scarcity or abundance? Are you going to put yourself down for getting angry with your husband or are you simply going to notice what insecurity you were feeling at the time and discuss it with him? The choice is definitely yours. Pick the one that contributes most to your aliveness and growth.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
When you operate from the Higher Self, you feel centered and abundant—in fact, overflowing. When you experience this abundance, your fears automatically disappear.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
And because we are creatures of habit, we must practice. I urge you to practice acting in spite of fear, practice acting in spite of inconvenience, practice acting in spite of discomfort, and practice acting even when you’re not in the mood.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
Fear grows in darkness; if you think there’s a bogeyman around, turn on the light.
—Dorothy Thompson (1893–1961) American Journalist, Radio Personality
It’s better to get mugged than to live a life of fear.
—Freeman Dyson (1923–2020) American Theoretical Physicist, Author
Persecutors fear loss of control. Rescuers fear loss of purpose. Rescuers need Victims—someone to protect or fix—to bolster their self-esteem.
—David Emerald
Whether it feels like it or not, you already have more power than you could ever have imagined. We all have.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
Most fears cannot withstand the test of careful scrutiny and analysis. When we expose our fears to the light of thoughtful examination they usually just evaporate.
—Jack Canfield (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
Fear is more painful to cowardice than death to true courage.
—Philip Sidney (1554–86) English Soldier Poet, Courtier
Fear is uncertainty.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author