--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For fear is a primary source of evil. And…" description: "\"“For fear is a primary source of evil. And when the question \"Who am I?\" recurs and is unanswered, then fear and frustration project a negative attitud..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b93/carson-mccullers-1694_answers_for-fear-is-a-primary-source-of-evil-and_2731276.jpg" --- # For fear is a primary source of evil. And when the… ![“For fear is a primary source of evil. And when the question "Who am I?" recurs and is unanswered, then fear and frustration project a negative attitude. The bewildered soul can answer only: "Since I do not understand 'Who I am,' I only know what I am not ." The corollary of this emotional…” quote by Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b93/carson-mccullers-1694_answers_for-fear-is-a-primary-source-of-evil-and_2731276.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b93/carson-mccullers-1694_answers_for-fear-is-a-primary-source-of-evil-and_2731276.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b93/carson-mccullers-1694_answers_for-fear-is-a-primary-source-of-evil-and_2731276.jpg) > ““For fear is a primary source of evil. And when the question "Who am I?" recurs and is unanswered, then fear and frustration project a negative attitude. The bewildered soul can answer only: "Since I do not understand 'Who I am,' I only know what I am not ." The corollary of this emotional incertitude is snobbism, intolerance and racial hate. The xenophobic individual can only reject and destroy, as the xenophobic nation inevitably makes war. ”” [Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identity confusion fuels fear, leading to intolerance and conflict. **In simple terms:** Not knowing yourself breeds hate. Key Takeaway Seek self‑knowledge to reduce fear. Themes identity fear intolerance Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal therapy - education - community dialogue Key Concepts existential angst psychology social division Questions to Reflect On - What parts of yourself remain unknown? - How does ignorance shape prejudice? A Different Perspective Self‑exploration can be uncomfortable and uncertain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Bewildered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bewildered/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Frustration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frustration/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Hate Xenophobic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate-xenophobic-2957415/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Intolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerance/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Negative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative/) [Negative attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative-attitude/) [Primaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primaries/) [Primary source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primary-source/) [Projects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/projects/) [Rejects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejects/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) [Unanswered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unanswered/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Who i am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-i-am/) [Xenophobic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/xenophobic/) [Xenophobic Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/xenophobic-individual-2957414/) [Xenophobic Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/xenophobic-nation-2957416/) ## Related quotes > [The diversity of India cannot thrive on facile attempts to create the homogeneous category of "Indian." 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What is a different color, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-yolen/a-child-who-can-love-the-oddities-of-a-fantasy-book-cannot-possibly/) [Jane Yolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-yolen/) > [“Both Richard and I sat silent and watched Jennifer Lee . She came across the room and over to us and swept our chess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-brown/both-richard-and-i-sat-silent-and-watched-jennifer-lee-she-came/) [Cecil Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-brown/) > [Everybody is xenophobic to an extent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/everybody-is-xenophobic-to-an-extent/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Ironically, xenophobic nationalists are utilizing the benefits of globalization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/ironically-xenophobic-nationalists-are-utilizing-the-benefits-of/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [People are scared. 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The boy sat small and listening and still. Slowly he shook his head. The old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-mccullers/son-do-you-know-how-love-should-be-begun-the-boy-sat-small-and/) [Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/) > [The most fatal thing a man can do is try to stand alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-mccullers/the-most-fatal-thing-a-man-can-do-is-try-to-stand-alone/) [Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/) > [The dimensions of a work of art are seldom realized by the author until the work is accomplished. It is like a flowering dream.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-mccullers/the-dimensions-of-a-work-of-art-are-seldom-realized-by-the-author/) [Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/) > [Now hoppin'-john was F. Jasmine's very favorite food. 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And the drawn tightness she could no longer stand. 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I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. 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And when the question \"Who am I?\" recurs and is unanswered, then fear and frustration project a negative attitude. The bewildered soul can answer only: \"Since I do not understand 'Who I am,' I only know what I am not .\" The corollary of this emotional incertitude is snobbism, intolerance and racial hate. 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