--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: O! How vain and vile a passion is this…" description: "\"O! How vain and vile a passion is this fear! What base uncomely things it makes men do.\" — Ben Jonson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/ben-jonson-1371_fear_o-how-vain-and-vile-a-passion-is-this-fe_510375.png" --- # O! How vain and vile a passion is this fear! What base… ![“O! How vain and vile a passion is this fear! What base uncomely things it makes men do.” quote by Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/ben-jonson-1371_fear_o-how-vain-and-vile-a-passion-is-this-fe_510375.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/ben-jonson-1371_fear_o-how-vain-and-vile-a-passion-is-this-fe_510375.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/ben-jonson-1371_fear_o-how-vain-and-vile-a-passion-is-this-fe_510375.png) > “O! How vain and vile a passion is this fear! What base uncomely things it makes men do.” [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He condemns fear as a corrupting force that drives people to base, immoral actions. **In simple terms:** Fear leads to vile behavior. Key Takeaway Confront fear to avoid moral decay. Themes fear morality human weakness vice Mood cautionary reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal crises - political oppression - social injustice - leadership challenges Key Concepts philosophy ethics psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does fear influence your decisions? - Can fear be a motivator for good? A Different Perspective Fear can be manipulated; confronting it requires courage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) ## Related quotes > [What excellent fools religion makes of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/what-excellent-fools-religion-makes-of-men/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Fear is the strong passion; it is with fear that you must trifle, if you wish to taste the intensest joys of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/fear-is-the-strong-passion-it-is-with-fear-that-you-must-trifle-if-2/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“Our passion for fear consumes us and gives birth to the imaginary. Once fear is unleashed, it feeds upon us and rips us apart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-b-brewer/our-passion-for-fear-consumes-us-and-gives-birth-to-the-imaginary/) [Nancy B. Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-b-brewer/) > [There is only one universal passion fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/there-is-only-one-universal-passion-fear/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The strongest passion is fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/the-strongest-passion-is-fear/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [The passion of fear (as a modern philosopher informs me) determines the spirits of the muscles of the knees, which are instantly ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ashley-cooper-7th-earl-of-shaftesbury/the-passion-of-fear-as-a-modern-philosopher-informs-me-determines-the/) [Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ashley-cooper-7th-earl-of-shaftesbury/) > [“People trifle with love. Now, I deny that love is a strong passion. 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It makes men do stupid things that seem more important than the world at the time they’re doing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-gunzel/love-never-makes-much-sense-it-makes-men-do-stupid-things-that-seem/) Jeff Gunzel > [Bad behaviour makes men more glamorous. Women get destroyed, thrown out of society and locked up in institutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-faithfull/bad-behaviour-makes-men-more-glamorous-women-get-destroyed-thrown-out/) [Marianne Faithfull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-faithfull/) > [The Gospel does not abrogate God's law, but it makes men love it with all of their hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-gospel-does-not-abrogate-god-s-law-but-it-makes-men-love-it-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Paying attention to simple little things that most men neglect makes a few men rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/paying-attention-to-simple-little-things-that-most-men-neglect-makes/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [Sorrow makes men sincere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/sorrow-makes-men-sincere/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/men-hang-out-their-signs-indicative-of-their-respective-trades-shoe/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) ## More by Ben Jonson > [Soul of the Age! The applause! delight! the wonder of our stage! 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The prodigal will have none shortly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/the-covetous-man-never-has-money-the-prodigal-will-have-none-shortly/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Fortune, that favors fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/fortune-that-favors-fools/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) [Explore all 249 Ben Jonson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. 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Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. 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