--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A terrible panic that had no name came…" description: "\"“A terrible panic that had no name came over her as she realized that many of the sweet babies in the world were born to come to something like this ol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/betty-smith-1012_old-man_a-terrible-panic-that-had-no-name-came-o_475796.png" --- # A terrible panic that had no name came over her as she… ![“A terrible panic that had no name came over her as she realized that many of the sweet babies in the world were born to come to something like this old man some day” quote by Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/betty-smith-1012_old-man_a-terrible-panic-that-had-no-name-came-o_475796.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/betty-smith-1012_old-man_a-terrible-panic-that-had-no-name-came-o_475796.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/betty-smith-1012_old-man_a-terrible-panic-that-had-no-name-came-o_475796.png) > ““A terrible panic that had no name came over her as she realized that many of the sweet babies in the world were born to come to something like this old man some day”” [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator feels overwhelming dread realizing that even innocent lives may be destined for hardship. **In simple terms:** Life can be frightening when innocence meets harsh reality. Key Takeaway Prepare for adversity while preserving hope. Themes fear destiny innocence Mood melancholic empathetic Type literary reflective When to use this quote - parenting - social work - mental health counseling - education - literary analysis Key Concepts existential dread social realism generational trauma Questions to Reflect On - How does awareness of suffering shape our choices? - What role does hope play amid inevitable hardships? A Different Perspective The quote may overgeneralize suffering, ignoring resilience and joy in life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Panic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/panic/) ## Related quotes > [Flowers are like the sweet babies of the nature; they make us to smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/flowers-are-like-the-sweet-babies-of-the-nature-they-make-us-to-smile/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I have terrible panic attacks. I usually get so tired from crying and being in pain that my only way out is sleeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soko/i-have-terrible-panic-attacks-i-usually-get-so-tired-from-crying-and/) [Soko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soko/) > [“She had told Erstwhile too much in the past, and thus he knew that occasionally she did go crazy. Sometimes it was when she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/she-had-told-erstwhile-too-much-in-the-past-and-thus-he-knew-that/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Babies all over the world are what I like to describe as citizens of the world. They can discriminate all the sounds of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/babies-all-over-the-world-are-what-i-like-to-describe-as-citizens-of-2/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [Men hand out cigars. Women 'hand out' babies. And thus the world, for thousands of years, has gone round.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-benedict/men-hand-out-cigars-women-hand-out-babies-and-thus-the-world-for/) [Dirk Benedict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-benedict/) > [Babies all over the world are what I like to describe as 'citizens of the world.' They can discriminate all the sounds of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-k-kuhl/babies-all-over-the-world-are-what-i-like-to-describe-as-citizens-of/) Patricia K. Kuhl > [Women say . . . that if men had to have babies there would soon be no babies in the world. . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/women-say-that-if-men-had-to-have-babies-there-would-soon-be-no/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Everything has got a place in my house. If something is moved I get a panic attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rylan-clark-neal/everything-has-got-a-place-in-my-house-if-something-is-moved-i-get-a/) [Rylan Clark-Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rylan-clark-neal/) > [Can you dissolve your ego? Can you abandon the idea of self and other? Can you relinquish the notions of male and female, short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/can-you-dissolve-your-ego-can-you-abandon-the-idea-of-self-and-other/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [I think I'm prone to panic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/i-think-i-m-prone-to-panic/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [ As an actor, if you step to the side and you look at \[Thornton's performance\] technically, and you try to imagine doing what he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/as-an-actor-if-you-step-to-the-side-and-you-look-at-thornton-s/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [“She was—of course—perfectly normal— quiet and polite and reasonably intelligent and...normal and self destructive and lonely and terrified of every thing And she loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tah-the-trickster/she-was-of-course-perfectly-normal-quiet-and-polite-and-reasonably/) Tah the Trickster > [“The obsession with the afterlife is born of a panic at not having memories of a before-life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/the-obsession-with-the-afterlife-is-born-of-a-panic-at-not-having/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [“Give me terror. Flash. Give me panic. Flash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/give-me-terror-flash-give-me-panic-flash/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) ## More by Betty Smith > [“Yes, when I get big and have my own home, no plush chairs and lace curtains for me. And no rubber plants. I'll have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/yes-when-i-get-big-and-have-my-own-home-no-plush-chairs-and-lace/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Several times that day, the name or thought of Papa had come up. And each time, Francie had felt a flash of tenderness instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/several-times-that-day-the-name-or-thought-of-papa-had-come-up-and/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [As long as one can suffer, one is living…live and suffer until life is gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/as-long-as-one-can-suffer-one-is-living-live-and-suffer-until-life-is/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Sissy told them they were way behind the times; that midwives were things of the past. Besides, she informed them proudly, she had no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/sissy-told-them-they-were-way-behind-the-times-that-midwives-were/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Why, Mrs McGarrity's all right. Mr McGarrity's all right, too. Only I guess they aren't all right to each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/why-mrs-mcgarrity-s-all-right-mr-mcgarrity-s-all-right-too-only-i/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“I drink because I don't stand a chance and I know it. I couldn't drive a truck and I couldn't get on the cops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/i-drink-because-i-don-t-stand-a-chance-and-i-know-it-i-couldn-t-drive/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Pipe dreams, he thought to himself, even while he was telling her about his dream winnings. But oh, how wonderful, he thought, if everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/pipe-dreams-he-thought-to-himself-even-while-he-was-telling-her-about/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Who wants to die? Everything struggles to live. Look at that tree growing up there out of that grating. It gets no sun, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/who-wants-to-die-everything-struggles-to-live-look-at-that-tree/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [It takes a lot of doing to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/it-takes-a-lot-of-doing-to-die/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“She sat in the sunshine watching the life on the street and guarding within herself, her own mystery of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/she-sat-in-the-sunshine-watching-the-life-on-the-street-and-guarding/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [...the reading, the observing, the living from day to day. It was something that had been born into her and her only - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/the-reading-the-observing-the-living-from-day-to-day-it-was-something/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [People always think that happiness is a faraway thing … something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/people-always-think-that-happiness-is-a-faraway-thing-something/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Hildy O’Dair is old for her age,” she thought. “It’s like powder was sprinkled on her yellow hair. But she’s not much older than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/hildy-o-dair-is-old-for-her-age-she-thought-it-s-like-powder-was/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“One day they’re babies in buggies and the next day they’re in here taking picks. Kids grow up quick in this neighborhood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/one-day-they-re-babies-in-buggies-and-the-next-day-they-re-in-here/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“If she never had any lovers, she kicks herself around when the change comes, thinking of all the fun she could have had, didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/if-she-never-had-any-lovers-she-kicks-herself-around-when-the-change/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) [Explore all 306 Betty Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) ## More Old man quotes > [“You’d better keep her tied.” “Why?” A yawn stretched Hunter’s dark face. “Because she’s looking skittish.” “She’s naked.” Sheathing his knife, Hunter flopped on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/you-d-better-keep-her-tied-why-a-yawn-stretched-hunter-s-dark-face/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [Therefore, brethren, pray until God gives us revelation so that "knowing this" in our spirit we may truly confess "that our old man has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/therefore-brethren-pray-until-god-gives-us-revelation-so-that-knowing/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [My old man was ruthless. He terrorised us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/my-old-man-was-ruthless-he-terrorised-us/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) > [There was an Old Man of Messina, Whose daughter was named Opsibeena; She wore a small wig, and rode out on a pig, To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/there-was-an-old-man-of-messina-whose-daughter-was-named-opsibeena/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“IN the year 1888 Herr von Pasenow was seventy, and there were people who felt an extraordinary and inexplicable repulsion when they saw him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-broch/in-the-year-1888-herr-von-pasenow-was-seventy-and-there-were-people/) [Hermann Broch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-broch/) > [“He wants to dream like a young man with the wisdom of a old man, he wants his home and securities, he wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/he-wants-to-dream-like-a-young-man-with-the-wisdom-of-a-old-man-he/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [The true love suddenly broken, not only but like the old man who has lost the stick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-true-love-suddenly-broken-not-only-but-like-the-old-man-who-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I’m 59 and people call me middle aged. How many 118 year old men do you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-cryer/i-m-59-and-people-call-me-middle-aged-how-many-118-year-old-men-do/) [Barry Cryer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-cryer/) > [The barman sidled toward them out of a back room. He was a grump-looking old man with a great deal of a long gray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-barman-sidled-toward-them-out-of-a-back-room-he-was-a-grump/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/you-don-t-get-to-choose-if-you-get-hurt-in-this-world-old-man-but-you/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A tall, thin old man waving a scorecard from the corner of his dugout. That's baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-harwell/a-tall-thin-old-man-waving-a-scorecard-from-the-corner-of-his-dugout/) [Ernie Harwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-harwell/) > [God has given this way of life to Israel: to abstain from everything which is contrary to nature, that is to say, anger, fits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poemen/god-has-given-this-way-of-life-to-israel-to-abstain-from-everything/) [Poemen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poemen/) [Browse all 2,184 Old man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A terrible panic that had no name came over her as she realized that many of the sweet babies in the world were born to come to something like this old man some day”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Betty Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/a-terrible-panic-that-had-no-name-came-over-her-as-she-realized-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Old man" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/a-terrible-panic-that-had-no-name-came-over-her-as-she-realized-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/betty-smith-1012_old-man_a-terrible-panic-that-had-no-name-came-o_475796.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/betty-smith-1012_old-man_a-terrible-panic-that-had-no-name-came-o_475796.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d79/betty-smith-1012_old-man_a-terrible-panic-that-had-no-name-came-o_475796.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A terrible panic that had no name came over her as she realized that many of the sweet babies in the world…” — Betty Smith", "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": "Betty Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A terrible panic that had no...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/a-terrible-panic-that-had-no-name-came-over-her-as-she-realized-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/a-terrible-panic-that-had-no-name-came-over-her-as-she-realized-that/#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 } } ] } ```