--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was this that frightened me--the sense…" description: "\"“It was this that frightened me--the sense that behind the grande amoureuse lay concealed a little bourgeoise who wanted security in love.”\" — Anaïs Nin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/anais-nin-288_bourgeois-society_it-was-this-that-frightened-me-the-sense_2645201.png" --- # It was this that frightened me--the sense that behind the… ![“It was this that frightened me--the sense that behind the grande amoureuse lay concealed a little bourgeoise who wanted security in love.” quote by Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/anais-nin-288_bourgeois-society_it-was-this-that-frightened-me-the-sense_2645201.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/anais-nin-288_bourgeois-society_it-was-this-that-frightened-me-the-sense_2645201.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/anais-nin-288_bourgeois-society_it-was-this-that-frightened-me-the-sense_2645201.png) > ““It was this that frightened me--the sense that behind the grande amoureuse lay concealed a little bourgeoise who wanted security in love.”” [Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She fears that beneath passionate love hides a desire for security and conventionality. **In simple terms:** Love can hide a need for safety. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden motives in relationships. Themes love insecurity passion security psychology Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - romantic relationships - personal introspection - therapy - dating Key Concepts attachment theory self‑deception Questions to Reflect On - What security do you seek in love? - How does fear shape your relationships? A Different Perspective People may prioritize safety over authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality/) ## Related quotes > [“(Please forgive us, reader. 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They couldn't bear the idea of death being a black nothing, couldn't bear the thought of their loved ones not existing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/people-wanted-security-they-couldn-t-bear-the-idea-of-death-being-a/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Everyone wanted security, but first they wanted to feel more threatened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gon-alo-m-tavares/everyone-wanted-security-but-first-they-wanted-to-feel-more-threatened/) [Gonçalo M. 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It's us older ones who are nearer to it, that start being frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-bonham-carter/i-don-t-think-kids-have-a-problem-with-death-it-s-us-older-ones-who/) [Helena Bonham Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-bonham-carter/) > [“and I actually talked about God, the one who had abandoned me when I was very little, very frightened, and very hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcoholics-anonymous/and-i-actually-talked-about-god-the-one-who-had-abandoned-me-when-i/) [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcoholics-anonymous/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) ## More by Anaïs Nin > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“…For love it is never the same. What goes on inside is never the same just like this music which changes every instant. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/for-love-it-is-never-the-same-what-goes-on-inside-is-never-the-same/) [Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Jazz is the music of the body. The breath comes through brass. 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We have once more gone astray with this rightist opportunism—this concept of "guilt," and of the guilty or innocent. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/please-forgive-us-reader-we-have-once-more-gone-astray-with-this/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) Browse all 3 Bourgeois-society quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was this that frightened me--the sense that behind the grande amoureuse lay concealed a little bourgeoise who wanted security in love.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anaïs Nin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/it-was-this-that-frightened-me-the-sense-that-behind-the-grande/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bourgeois-society" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/it-was-this-that-frightened-me-the-sense-that-behind-the-grande/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/anais-nin-288_bourgeois-society_it-was-this-that-frightened-me-the-sense_2645201.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/anais-nin-288_bourgeois-society_it-was-this-that-frightened-me-the-sense_2645201.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/anais-nin-288_bourgeois-society_it-was-this-that-frightened-me-the-sense_2645201.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It was this that frightened me--the sense that behind the grande amoureuse lay concealed a little bourgeoise…” — Anaïs Nin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anaïs Nin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It was this that frightened me--the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/it-was-this-that-frightened-me-the-sense-that-behind-the-grande/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/it-was-this-that-frightened-me-the-sense-that-behind-the-grande/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```