--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She was too afraid to hope, now that it…" description: "\"“She was too afraid to hope, now that it seemed possible.”\" — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_afraid_she-was-too-afraid-to-hope-now-that-it-s_1427981.png" --- # She was too afraid to hope, now that it seemed possible. ![“She was too afraid to hope, now that it seemed possible.” quote by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_afraid_she-was-too-afraid-to-hope-now-that-it-s_1427981.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_afraid_she-was-too-afraid-to-hope-now-that-it-s_1427981.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_afraid_she-was-too-afraid-to-hope-now-that-it-s_1427981.png) > ““She was too afraid to hope, now that it seemed possible.”” [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear can paralyze hope, but recognizing possibility can ignite courage to imagine a better future. **In simple terms:** Fear blocks hope; possibility can inspire. Key Takeaway Allow yourself to imagine and pursue hopeful outcomes. Themes fear hope possibility courage Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - career change - social activism - mental health Key Concepts psychology optimism resilience Questions to Reflect On - What would you do if hope seemed impossible? - How can you nurture hope in uncertain times? A Different Perspective Hope may be fragile and can be shattered by setbacks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) [Afraid Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-hope-531380/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Hope Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-possible-352769/) [Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible/) ## Related quotes > [It's different being afraid when there's the hope it will amount to something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cronin/it-s-different-being-afraid-when-there-s-the-hope-it-will-amount-to/) [Justin Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cronin/) > [I think I've always been somebody, since the deaths of my father and brother, who was afraid to hope. So, I was more prepared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/i-think-i-ve-always-been-somebody-since-the-deaths-of-my-father-and/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [“I'm afraid to hope but I can't help it, and the idea of hoping in this most hopeless of all places makes me want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beatrice-sparks/i-m-afraid-to-hope-but-i-can-t-help-it-and-the-idea-of-hoping-in-this/) [Beatrice Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beatrice-sparks/) > [Certainly I am sometimes afraid, but my hope is greater than my fear, and the biggest enemy we all face is ignorance which breeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/certainly-i-am-sometimes-afraid-but-my-hope-is-greater-than-my-fear/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“Never be afraid to hope," Rohan said gently. 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Often we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-andrews/of-course-it-does-jomes-answered-earnestly-many-of-life-s-treasures/) [Andy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-andrews/) > [No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-chakiris/no-matter-how-dark-the-moment-love-and-hope-are-always-possible/) [George Chakiris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-chakiris/) ## More by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie > [“What I’ve noticed being here is that many English people are in awe of America but also deeply resent it,” Obinze added. “Perfectly true,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/what-i-ve-noticed-being-here-is-that-many-english-people-are-in-awe/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [If you followed the media you'd think that everybody in Africa was starving to death, and that's not the case; so it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-you-followed-the-media-you-d-think-that-everybody-in-africa-was/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“Because human beings lived then in a world in which physical strength was the most important attribute for survival; the physically stronger person was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/because-human-beings-lived-then-in-a-world-in-which-physical-strength/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [To return to the books of my childhood is to yield to the strain of nostalgia that is curious about the self I once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/to-return-to-the-books-of-my-childhood-is-to-yield-to-the-strain-of/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [I think white women need to wake up and say, 'Not all women are white,' three times in front of the mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-think-white-women-need-to-wake-up-and-say-not-all-women-are-white/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are. If we have sons, we don't mind knowing about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/we-teach-girls-that-they-cannot-be-sexual-beings-in-the-way-that-boys/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“Alexa, and the other guests, and perhaps even Georgina, all understood the fleeing from war, from the kind of poverty that crushed human souls,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/alexa-and-the-other-guests-and-perhaps-even-georgina-all-understood/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“I discovered race in America and it fascinated me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-discovered-race-in-america-and-it-fascinated-me/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“It was not as if he did not know what living in Lagos could do to a woman married to a young and wealthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/it-was-not-as-if-he-did-not-know-what-living-in-lagos-could-do-to-a/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“They have the kinds of things we can eat.' An unease crept up on Ifemelu. She was comfortable here, and she wished she were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/they-have-the-kinds-of-things-we-can-eat-an-unease-crept-up-on/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [If I were not African, I wonder whether it would be clear to me that Africa is a place where the people do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-i-were-not-african-i-wonder-whether-it-would-be-clear-to-me-that/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“But race is not biology; race is sociology. Race is not genotype; race is phenotype. Race matters because of racism. And racism is absurd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/but-race-is-not-biology-race-is-sociology-race-is-not-genotype-race/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [I like the U.S. and feel gratitude towards it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-like-the-u-s-and-feel-gratitude-towards-it/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [I’m very feminist in the way I look at the world, and that worldview must somehow be part of my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-m-very-feminist-in-the-way-i-look-at-the-world-and-that-worldview/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [Perhaps it is time to debate culture. The common story is that in 'real' African culture, before it was tainted by the West, gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/perhaps-it-is-time-to-debate-culture-the-common-story-is-that-in-real/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) [Explore all 491 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) [Darlene Senger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-senger/) > [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/) [Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/) > [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/) [Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) [Browse all 5,519 Afraid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She was too afraid to hope, now that it seemed possible.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/she-was-too-afraid-to-hope-now-that-it-seemed-possible/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afraid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/she-was-too-afraid-to-hope-now-that-it-seemed-possible/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_afraid_she-was-too-afraid-to-hope-now-that-it-s_1427981.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_afraid_she-was-too-afraid-to-hope-now-that-it-s_1427981.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_afraid_she-was-too-afraid-to-hope-now-that-it-s_1427981.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She was too afraid to hope, now that it seemed possible.” — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie", "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": "Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She was too afraid to hope,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/she-was-too-afraid-to-hope-now-that-it-seemed-possible/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/she-was-too-afraid-to-hope-now-that-it-seemed-possible/#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 } } ] } ```