Afraid Quote by Alan Watts
“If you are afraid of death, be afraid. The point is to get with it, to let it take over - fear, ghosts, pains, transience, dissolution, and all. And then comes the hitherto unbelievable surprise; you don't die because you were never born. You had just forgotten who you are.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: The Nature of Fear, 1965
Facing death directly transforms fear into acceptance, revealing that death is a forgotten identity, not an end.
In simple terms: Accept death to dissolve fear and realize identity is timeless.
Key Takeaway
Embrace mortality to free yourself.
Themes
philosophy
spirituality
existentialism
acceptance
Mood
contemplative
serene
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- meditation practice
- end-of-life counseling
- creative expression
- personal growth
Key Concepts
identity
impermanence
fear transformation
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “never born” imply about self?
- How can this view change daily anxiety?
A Different Perspective
Fear may persist despite intellectual acceptance.
