--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was afraid I was goin to die and then I…" description: "\"I was afraid I was goin to die and then I was afraid I wasnt.\" — Cormac McCarthy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/cormac-mccarthy-181_afraid_i-was-afraid-i-was-goin-to-die-and-then_418025.jpg" --- # I was afraid I was goin to die and then I was afraid I… ![“I was afraid I was goin to die and then I was afraid I wasnt.” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/cormac-mccarthy-181_afraid_i-was-afraid-i-was-goin-to-die-and-then_418025.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/cormac-mccarthy-181_afraid_i-was-afraid-i-was-goin-to-die-and-then_418025.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/cormac-mccarthy-181_afraid_i-was-afraid-i-was-goin-to-die-and-then_418025.jpg) > “I was afraid I was goin to die and then I was afraid I wasnt.” [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker confronts existential dread, fearing both death and the continuation of life, highlighting anxiety about mortality and existence. **In simple terms:** Fear of dying and fear of living. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and live fully. Themes mortality anxiety existence Mood somber reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - grief counseling - health crisis - philosophical reflection - creative writing Key Concepts existential dread psychological conflict Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to be afraid of not dying? - How can we find peace amid existential fear? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize fear without offering coping strategies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ## Related quotes > [I was afraid I was going to die and then I was afraid I wasnt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-was-afraid-i-was-going-to-die-and-then-i-was-afraid-i-wasnt/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“And if you’re too afraid of goin’ astray, you won’t go anywhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-if-you-re-too-afraid-of-goin-astray-you-won-t-go-anywhere/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not afraid to die , but I am afraid to lose my mom!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-afraid-to-die-but-i-am-afraid-to-lose-my-mom/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For weeks Tyrone thought he was going to die any minute, and there were also times when he was afraid he wasnt going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/for-weeks-tyrone-thought-he-was-going-to-die-any-minute-and-there/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [People are afraid to die, and even more afraid to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/people-are-afraid-to-die-and-even-more-afraid-to-live/) [Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/) > [You are afraid to die, and you’re afraid to live. What a way to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/you-are-afraid-to-die-and-you-re-afraid-to-live-what-a-way-to-exist/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [I don't want to die, but I'm also not afraid to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-want-to-die-but-i-m-also-not-afraid-to-die/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When it comes time to die, you will not be afraid. By meditating, you will have already seen beyond life and death and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-it-comes-time-to-die-you-will-not-be-afraid-by-meditating-you/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I will not die nor I'm afraid of death because God is with me!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-will-not-die-nor-i-m-afraid-of-death-because-god-is-with-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm going to die whatever you do, but I'm not afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/i-m-going-to-die-whatever-you-do-but-i-m-not-afraid/) [Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/) > [I think our children are afraid to die because we're afraid to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/i-think-our-children-are-afraid-to-die-because-we-re-afraid-to-die/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [“Why should we be scared of death? Anyone will die anyway. We should not be afraid of dying. We should be afraid of not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-nas/why-should-we-be-scared-of-death-anyone-will-die-anyway-we-should-not/) [Felipe Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-nas/) > [Humans aren't afraid to die...they are afraid to be forgotten after death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/humans-aren-t-afraid-to-die-they-are-afraid-to-be-forgotten-after/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [“I’m not afraid to die, but I’m also, not afraid to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-e-hodges/i-m-not-afraid-to-die-but-i-m-also-not-afraid-to-live/) [Jason E. Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-e-hodges/) > [“Every moment I've spent living, I've been waiting to die. I'm not afraid of death. Life is an inconvenience. Brings nothing but disappointment, pain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-scott/every-moment-i-ve-spent-living-i-ve-been-waiting-to-die-i-m-not/) [Rosie Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-scott/) ## More by Cormac McCarthy > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“The events of the world can have no separate life from the world. And yet the world itself can have no temporal view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-events-of-the-world-can-have-no-separate-life-from-the-world-and/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“I had two dreams about him after he died. I dont remember the first one all that well but it was about meetin him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-had-two-dreams-about-him-after-he-died-i-dont-remember-the-first/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“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/) > [“They set forth in a crimson dawn where sky and earth closed in a razorous plane. Out there dark little archipelagos of cloud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-set-forth-in-a-crimson-dawn-where-sky-and-earth-closed-in-a/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/nothing-where-all-was-burnt-to-ash-before-them-no-fires-were-to-be/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [He said that whether a man's life was writ in a book someplace or whether it took its form day by day was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-said-that-whether-a-man-s-life-was-writ-in-a-book-someplace-or/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“He lives in a room above a courtyard behind a tavern and he comes down at night like some fairybook beast to fight with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-lives-in-a-room-above-a-courtyard-behind-a-tavern-and-he-comes/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Ultimo hombre. Last man standing, must've been one. Where'd he go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ultimo-hombre-last-man-standing-must-ve-been-one-where-d-he-go/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“To seek out the upright. No fall but preceded by a declination. He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/to-seek-out-the-upright-no-fall-but-preceded-by-a-declination-he-took/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They went through the last of the cars and then walked up the track to the locomotive and climbed up to the catwalk. Rust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-went-through-the-last-of-the-cars-and-then-walked-up-the-track/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Night fell upon them dark and starblown and the wagon grew swollen near mute with dew. On their chairs in such black immobility these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/night-fell-upon-them-dark-and-starblown-and-the-wagon-grew-swollen/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“When I was in school I studied biology. I learned that in making their experiments scientists will take some group - bacteria, mice, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-i-was-in-school-i-studied-biology-i-learned-that-in-making-their/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [ “We none of us knew him to speak \[Dutch\]. Asked him where he'd learned it you know what he said? What did he say.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/we-none-of-us-knew-him-to-speak-dutch-asked-him-where-he-d-learned-it/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You know that the things you put it your head stay there, right?' 'Yeah. But you remember some things, don't you?' 'Yeah. You remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-know-that-the-things-you-put-it-your-head-stay-there-right-yeah/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) [Explore all 927 Cormac McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## 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 > [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 ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was afraid I was goin to die and then I was afraid I wasnt.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cormac McCarthy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-was-afraid-i-was-goin-to-die-and-then-i-was-afraid-i-wasnt/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afraid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-was-afraid-i-was-goin-to-die-and-then-i-was-afraid-i-wasnt/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/cormac-mccarthy-181_afraid_i-was-afraid-i-was-goin-to-die-and-then_418025.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/cormac-mccarthy-181_afraid_i-was-afraid-i-was-goin-to-die-and-then_418025.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/cormac-mccarthy-181_afraid_i-was-afraid-i-was-goin-to-die-and-then_418025.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was afraid I was goin to die and then I was afraid I wasnt.” — Cormac McCarthy", "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": "Cormac McCarthy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was afraid I was goin...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-was-afraid-i-was-goin-to-die-and-then-i-was-afraid-i-wasnt/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-was-afraid-i-was-goin-to-die-and-then-i-was-afraid-i-wasnt/#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 } } ] } ```