--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't accept \"our nervous age,\" since…" description: "\"I can't accept \"our nervous age,\" since mankind has been nervous during every age. Whoever fears nervousness should turn into a sturgeon or smelt; if a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8c/anton-chekhov-298_accepting_i-can-t-accept-our-nervous-age-since-man_1208821.jpg" --- # I can't accept "our nervous age," since mankind has been… ![“I can't accept "our nervous age," since mankind has been nervous during every age. Whoever fears nervousness should turn into a sturgeon or smelt; if a sturgeon makes a stupid mistake, it can only be one: to end up on a hook, and then in a pan in a pastry shell.” quote by Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8c/anton-chekhov-298_accepting_i-can-t-accept-our-nervous-age-since-man_1208821.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8c/anton-chekhov-298_accepting_i-can-t-accept-our-nervous-age-since-man_1208821.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8c/anton-chekhov-298_accepting_i-can-t-accept-our-nervous-age-since-man_1208821.jpg) > “I can't accept "our nervous age," since mankind has been nervous during every age. Whoever fears nervousness should turn into a sturgeon or smelt; if a sturgeon makes a stupid mistake, it can only be one: to end up on a hook, and then in a pan in a pastry shell.” [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nervousness is timeless; fearing it leads to absurd outcomes, like a sturgeon’s fatal mistake, highlighting the folly of trying to escape natural anxiety. **In simple terms:** Nervousness is always present; fearing it is pointless. Key Takeaway Embrace nervousness, avoid absurd fear. Themes nervousness human nature fear absurdity Mood humorous reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - public speaking - performance anxiety - personal growth Key Concepts existentialism psychology literary metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How do you react to nervousness? - What can you learn from the sturgeon metaphor? A Different Perspective Fear of nervousness can cause irrational behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accept Nervous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept-nervous-3655845/) [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Age Fears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-fears-2253068/) [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Hook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hook/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Nervous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nervous/) [Nervous Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nervous-age-2425054/) [Nervousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nervousness/) [Pastries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pastries/) [Shells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shells/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid/) [Stupid mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid-mistake/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) ## Related quotes > [The nervous system of any age or nation is its creative workers, its artists. 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