---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fear! Fear again, for the first time…"
description: "\"“Fear! Fear again, for the first time since his 'teens. Fear, that he thought he would never know any more. Fear that no weapon, no jeopardy, no natura..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/cornell-woolrich-2734_able_fear-fear-again-for-the-first-time-since_1519569.jpg"
---

#  Fear! Fear again, for the first time since his 'teens…

![“Fear! Fear again, for the first time since his 'teens. Fear, that he thought he would never know any more. Fear that no weapon, no jeopardy, no natural cataclysm, has ever been able to inspire until now. And now here it is running icily through him in the hot Chinese noon. Fear for the thing he…” quote by Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/cornell-woolrich-2734_able_fear-fear-again-for-the-first-time-since_1519569.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/cornell-woolrich-2734_able_fear-fear-again-for-the-first-time-since_1519569.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/cornell-woolrich-2734_able_fear-fear-again-for-the-first-time-since_1519569.jpg)

> ““Fear! Fear again, for the first time since his 'teens. Fear, that he thought he would never know any more. Fear that no weapon, no jeopardy, no natural cataclysm, has ever been able to inspire until now. And now here it is running icily through him in the hot Chinese noon. Fear for the thing he loves, the only fear that can ever wholly cow the reckless and the brave. ("Jane Brown's Body")””

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A character confronts a sudden, intense fear tied to love, revealing that even the brave can be paralyzed by personal stakes.

**In simple terms:** Love can trigger powerful fear.

Key Takeaway

Recognize fear’s source.

Themes

fear love vulnerability courage psychology

Mood

tense dramatic

Type

psychological literary

When to use this quote

- relationships
- high‑stress decisions
- personal loss
- heroic moments

Key Concepts

existential dread emotional conflict

Questions to Reflect On

- What does this fear reveal about his values?
- Can fear ever be constructive?

A Different Perspective

Fear may be exaggerated by imagination.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Brave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave/) [Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Cows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cows/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-fear/) [Fear Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-thing-439398/) [Fear Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-thought-537458/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Hot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hot/) [Inspire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspire/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Noon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noon/) [Noon Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noon-fear-5613845/) [Reckless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reckless/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Teens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teens/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/)

## Related quotes

> [I think the biggest fear is the fear of what a life devoted to God will cost. We love our stuff, don't we? It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-west/i-think-the-biggest-fear-is-the-fear-of-what-a-life-devoted-to-god/)

[Matthew West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-west/)

> [Fear and the thought of failure . . . But we don't really know what fear is. Fear is something that we create in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/fear-and-the-thought-of-failure-but-we-don-t-really-know-what-fear-is/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

> [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. So the only thing to really be afraid of is if you don't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-nixon/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-so-the-only-thing-to/)

[Cynthia Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-nixon/)

> [We are not meant to fear anything, the only thing we should fear is fear itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-kermis/we-are-not-meant-to-fear-anything-the-only-thing-we-should-fear-is/)

[Samuel Kermis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-kermis/)

> [I'm very into positive thinking. The minute I feel nervousness or anxiety or fear, I go, "No, no, that's not a thought that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-m-very-into-positive-thinking-the-minute-i-feel-nervousness-or/)

[Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/)

> [Millions of people are afraid of the past, the future, old age, insanity and death. But fear is a thought in your mind. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/millions-of-people-are-afraid-of-the-past-the-future-old-age-insanity/)

[Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/)

> [Do not be afraid of undertaking too much of what you can do without coming and going; but fear only the thought of doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/do-not-be-afraid-of-undertaking-too-much-of-what-you-can-do-without/)

[Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/)

> [“The audience looked at him. They felt he had no chance. They could drop the nameless resentment, the sense of insecurity which he aroused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-audience-looked-at-him-they-felt-he-had-no-chance-they-could-drop/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Fear is the thought of admitted inferiority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/fear-is-the-thought-of-admitted-inferiority/)

[Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/)

> [Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth - more than ruin, more even than death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-fear-thought-as-they-fear-nothing-else-on-earth-more-than-ruin-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“We all have different lives, Martin believes – but in the end probably feel the same things, and regret the fear we thought might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-van-booy/we-all-have-different-lives-martin-believes-but-in-the-end-probably/)

[Simon Van Booy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-van-booy/)

> [Courage is the fear of being thought a coward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-smith/courage-is-the-fear-of-being-thought-a-coward/)

[Horace Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-smith/)

> [Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death… Thought is subversive and revolutionary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/men-fear-thought-as-they-fear-nothing-else-on-earth-more-than-ruin/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“The thought that is billed at the price of fear and flattery is as inconsolable as that which is paid for at the price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamine-pearlheart/the-thought-that-is-billed-at-the-price-of-fear-and-flattery-is-as/)

[Lamine Pearlheart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamine-pearlheart/)

> [What do people fear most about death? I asked the reb. "Fear?" he thought for a moment. 'Well, for one thing, what happens next?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/what-do-people-fear-most-about-death-i-asked-the-reb-fear-he-thought/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

## More by Cornell Woolrich

> [“He should have caught up with me inside of fifteen minutes at the outside, if he'd been able to get on the next train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-should-have-caught-up-with-me-inside-of-fifteen-minutes-at-the/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“Home? What is home? Home is where a house is that you come back to when the rainy season is about to begin, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/home-what-is-home-home-is-where-a-house-is-that-you-come-back-to-when/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“Gates got up, but not fast or jerkily, with the same slowness that had always characterized him. He wiped the sweat off his palms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/gates-got-up-but-not-fast-or-jerkily-with-the-same-slowness-that-had/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“As the bartender struck a match to light her cigarette, she put her hand on his wrist to steady it. Travis saw him jump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/as-the-bartender-struck-a-match-to-light-her-cigarette-she-put-her/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“That was enough dialogue for a few pages - he had to get into some fast, red-hot action. There weren't any more hitches now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/that-was-enough-dialogue-for-a-few-pages-he-had-to-get-into-some-fast/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“Murder is such an elastic term, isn't it? ("Mind Over Murder")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/murder-is-such-an-elastic-term-isn-t-it-mind-over-murder/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“She was beautiful, only hers was the dark beauty of night, just as Sherry's was the bright beauty of daytime. Her hair was raven-black,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/she-was-beautiful-only-hers-was-the-dark-beauty-of-night-just-as/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“And I still say it was just a coincidence;' he muttered pugnaciously. 'You say it too! Look at me and say it! It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-i-still-say-it-was-just-a-coincidence-he-muttered-pugnaciously/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“And then finally she came - and the whole world faded out around us and we were just alone on the crowded sidewalk. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-then-finally-she-came-and-the-whole-world-faded-out-around-us-and/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“One of the two owners, the man who had been sitting in the front room, was stretched out in there asleep, stockinged-toes pointed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/one-of-the-two-owners-the-man-who-had-been-sitting-in-the-front-room/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“But that's the Way, and there is no other. And once his mind's made up, the trembling and aimless walking stops, and he can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/but-that-s-the-way-and-there-is-no-other-and-once-his-mind-s-made-up/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“He just lingers long enough to see his plane put to bed properly, then grabs a cab at the airport-gate. "The Settlement" and forgetting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-just-lingers-long-enough-to-see-his-plane-put-to-bed-properly-then/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“There was a pause, while I fought against this other, lesser kind of death that was creeping over me - this death called strangeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/there-was-a-pause-while-i-fought-against-this-other-lesser-kind-of/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“Every life is a mystery. And every story of every life is a mystery. But it is not what happens that is the mystery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/every-life-is-a-mystery-and-every-story-of-every-life-is-a-mystery/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

> [“Evans made himself their spokesman. "Charlie and Joe," he offered. "Remember us? We brought a friend back with us this time." Girls evidently didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/evans-made-himself-their-spokesman-charlie-and-joe-he-offered/)

[Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

[Explore all 152 Cornell Woolrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/)

## More Able quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/)

[Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/)

> [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/)

[Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/)

> [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/)

[Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/)

> [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/)

[Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/)

> [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/)

[Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/)

[Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/)

> [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/)

[Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/)

[Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Fear! Fear again, for the first time since his 'teens. Fear, that he thought he would never know any more. Fear that no weapon, no jeopardy, no natural cataclysm, has ever been able to inspire until now. And now here it is running icily through him in the hot Chinese noon. Fear for the thing he loves, the only fear that can ever wholly cow the reckless and the brave. (\"Jane Brown's Body\")”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cornell Woolrich"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/fear-fear-again-for-the-first-time-since-his-teens-fear-that-he/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Able"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/fear-fear-again-for-the-first-time-since-his-teens-fear-that-he/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/cornell-woolrich-2734_able_fear-fear-again-for-the-first-time-since_1519569.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/cornell-woolrich-2734_able_fear-fear-again-for-the-first-time-since_1519569.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/cornell-woolrich-2734_able_fear-fear-again-for-the-first-time-since_1519569.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Fear! Fear again, for the first time since his 'teens. Fear, that he thought he would never know any more…” — Cornell Woolrich",
                "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": "Cornell Woolrich",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Fear! Fear again, for the first...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/fear-fear-again-for-the-first-time-since-his-teens-fear-that-he/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/fear-fear-again-for-the-first-time-since-his-teens-fear-that-he/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
