--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had nothing to fear from my father…" description: "\"I had nothing to fear from my father. Except his disappointment. Which was no small thing.\" — Barbara Delinsky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/439/barbara-delinsky-12693_disappointment_i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-exc_837420.jpg" --- # I had nothing to fear from my father. Except his… ![“I had nothing to fear from my father. Except his disappointment. Which was no small thing.” quote by Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/439/barbara-delinsky-12693_disappointment_i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-exc_837420.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/439/barbara-delinsky-12693_disappointment_i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-exc_837420.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/439/barbara-delinsky-12693_disappointment_i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-exc_837420.jpg) > “I had nothing to fear from my father. Except his disappointment. Which was no small thing.” [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear of a father's disappointment can be profound, yet it is a personal burden that can be faced and overcome. **In simple terms:** Father's disappointment can weigh heavily. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and release fear of disappointing others. Themes family expectations fear self‑worth growth Mood introspective empathetic Type literary motivational When to use this quote - parent‑child relationships - career choices - personal therapy - creative endeavors Key Concepts psychology of approval family dynamics self‑esteem Questions to Reflect On - How does fear of disappointment shape your choices? - What steps can you take to release this fear? A Different Perspective Overcoming fear may require confronting deep emotional wounds. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) [Disappointment Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment-small-612855/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-disappointment-612854/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-father-385692/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Small things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-things/) ## Related quotes > [A father's disappointment can be a very powerful tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bergin/a-father-s-disappointment-can-be-a-very-powerful-tool/) [Michael Bergin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bergin/) > [I see disappointment as something small and aggregate rather than something unified or great. With a little effort, every failure can be turned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/i-see-disappointment-as-something-small-and-aggregate-rather-than/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/censorship-is-the-child-of-fear-and-the-father-of-ignorance/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [“As long as you behave appropriately,” he continued, “you have nothing to fear. Father Gabriel often says that this arrangement is a blessing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleatha-romig/as-long-as-you-behave-appropriately-he-continued-you-have-nothing-to/) [Aleatha Romig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleatha-romig/) > [Fear was my father, Father Fear. His look drained the stones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roethke/fear-was-my-father-father-fear-his-look-drained-the-stones/) [Theodore Roethke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roethke/) > [Fear is the father of courage and the mother of safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-h-tweedy/fear-is-the-father-of-courage-and-the-mother-of-safety/) [Henry H Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-h-tweedy/) > [The whip degrades; a severe father teaches his children to dissemble; their love is pretense, and their obedience a species of self-defense. Fear is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-whip-degrades-a-severe-father-teaches-his-children-to-dissemble/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“In my diary I wrote, “I fear my father’s anger, but I fear my mother’s love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/in-my-diary-i-wrote-i-fear-my-father-s-anger-but-i-fear-my-mother-s/) [Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/) > [There's no shame in fear, my father told me, what matters is how we face it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-no-shame-in-fear-my-father-told-me-what-matters-is-how-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don’t fear, her father said, sometimes the scary things are beautiful as well and the more beauty you find in them the less scary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atticus-poetry/don-t-fear-her-father-said-sometimes-the-scary-things-are-beautiful/) [Atticus Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atticus-poetry/) > [“Blue Duck could never avoid a moment of fear, when his father's eyes became the eyes of a snake. He choked off his insult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/blue-duck-could-never-avoid-a-moment-of-fear-when-his-father-s-eyes/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [Love and fear. Everything the father of a family says must inspire one or the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/love-and-fear-everything-the-father-of-a-family-says-must-inspire-one/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) > [Surely no child should fear his own father - especially a priesthood father. A father's duty is to make his home a place of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/surely-no-child-should-fear-his-own-father-especially-a-priesthood/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [We must never, in any age or circumstance, let fear and the father of fear (Satan himself) divert us from our faith and faithful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/we-must-never-in-any-age-or-circumstance-let-fear-and-the-father-of/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) ## More by Barbara Delinsky > [“Life is like a game of cards. It deals you different hands at different times. You don’t have that old hand anymore, Leo. Look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/life-is-like-a-game-of-cards-it-deals-you-different-hands-at/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“Waking up Thursday morning to another dreary day and the sense of being physically stuffed, they focused on FISH. While Charlotte interviewed the postmaster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/waking-up-thursday-morning-to-another-dreary-day-and-the-sense-of/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“OLIVIA DIDN’T WANT TO SEE SIMON. She didn’t know how to deal with what she felt. It was raw physical attraction with no emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/olivia-didn-t-want-to-see-simon-she-didn-t-know-how-to-deal-with-what/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“Pain is pain. You have a right to feel it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/pain-is-pain-you-have-a-right-to-feel-it/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“Não existe vantagem alguma em fazer as coisas do dia para a noite, porque para fazer direito precisamos de planejamento.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/n-o-existe-vantagem-alguma-em-fazer-as-coisas-do-dia-para-a-noite/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“Concentrating when it's the hardest is what builds character”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/concentrating-when-it-s-the-hardest-is-what-builds-character/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“My writing style has changed dramatically over the years, growing increasingly clean and exact. I like to think that I'm still improving -- that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/my-writing-style-has-changed-dramatically-over-the-years-growing/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [You kids were all in college, and I suddenly saw that I was stuck alone with a man who, all those years later, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/you-kids-were-all-in-college-and-i-suddenly-saw-that-i-was-stuck/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“The question was whether James would love me if I was someone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/the-question-was-whether-james-would-love-me-if-i-was-someone-else/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“There is no point in doing something unless you do it well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/there-is-no-point-in-doing-something-unless-you-do-it-well/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“Aim high, hit high.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/aim-high-hit-high/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“You’ll be taking the last a’ those,” Dorey confided. “I had a vendor try to convince me to shrink-wrap and freeze, but they’re never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/you-ll-be-taking-the-last-a-those-dorey-confided-i-had-a-vendor-try/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“Her ticket to freedom lay in her lap. Ever an avid reader, Annie had escaped into books in recent months, when all else failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/her-ticket-to-freedom-lay-in-her-lap-ever-an-avid-reader-annie-had/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [Wolves go after a wounded deer, it is the nature of the beast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/wolves-go-after-a-wounded-deer-it-is-the-nature-of-the-beast/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [“Remember the first time you ever came? Tell the truth. You were dreading it." His brown eyes laughed warmly. "What wasn't to dread? A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-tell-the-truth-you-were/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) [Explore all 51 Barbara Delinsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) ## More Disappointment quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Disappointment contains an appointment for doing much better. High expectations mean your higher capacity and belief in abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/disappointment-contains-an-appointment-for-doing-much-better-high/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [“My earthly body has been a terrible disappointment to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/my-earthly-body-has-been-a-terrible-disappointment-to-me/) [Frédéric Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The fear of not being good enough, the fear of disappointing other people and the fear of failure can really hurt one's personality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/the-fear-of-not-being-good-enough-the-fear-of-disappointing-other/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [In trying not to disappoint others; we disappoint ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-vermaak/in-trying-not-to-disappoint-others-we-disappoint-ourselves/) [Geraldine Vermaak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-vermaak/) > [Though there may be people in your life that support you and encourage you we have to realize that people are only human, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/though-there-may-be-people-in-your-life-that-support-you-and/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-still-many-more-days-of-failure-ahead-whole-seasons-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [In all disappointments sympathy is a great balm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/in-all-disappointments-sympathy-is-a-great-balm/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [It is sometimes said that because of our past we, as a people, expect too much and set our sights too high. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/it-is-sometimes-said-that-because-of-our-past-we-as-a-people-expect/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I'm talking to anyone who has been dumped - have not gotten the job you really wanted or have received those horrible rejection letters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/i-m-talking-to-anyone-who-has-been-dumped-have-not-gotten-the-job-you/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [Think of your mind, your emotions, and your spirit as the ultimate garden. The way to ensure a bountiful, nourishing harvest is to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/think-of-your-mind-your-emotions-and-your-spirit-as-the-ultimate/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Stop blaming others, whatever happens to you is nobody's fault if you get hurt because of disappointment is not the end of your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/stop-blaming-others-whatever-happens-to-you-is-nobody-s-fault-if-you/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [When disappointments knock you down, get back up and go again because out of our greatest rejection comes our greatest direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-disappointments-knock-you-down-get-back-up-and-go-again-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,467 Disappointment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had nothing to fear from my father. Except his disappointment. Which was no small thing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barbara Delinsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-except-his-disappointment-which/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Disappointment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-except-his-disappointment-which/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/439/barbara-delinsky-12693_disappointment_i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-exc_837420.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/439/barbara-delinsky-12693_disappointment_i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-exc_837420.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/439/barbara-delinsky-12693_disappointment_i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-exc_837420.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had nothing to fear from my father. Except his disappointment. Which was no small thing.” — Barbara Delinsky", "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": "Barbara Delinsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I had nothing to fear from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-except-his-disappointment-which/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-except-his-disappointment-which/#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 } } ] } ```