--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anxiety compels a person to think, but it…" description: "\"“Anxiety compels a person to think, but it is the type of thinking that gives thinking a bad name: solipsistic, self-eviscerating, unremitting, vicious..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/884/daniel-b-smith-29619_anxiety_anxiety-compels-a-person-to-think-but-it_2426244.jpg" --- # Anxiety compels a person to think, but it is the type of… ![“Anxiety compels a person to think, but it is the type of thinking that gives thinking a bad name: solipsistic, self-eviscerating, unremitting, vicious.” quote by Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/884/daniel-b-smith-29619_anxiety_anxiety-compels-a-person-to-think-but-it_2426244.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/884/daniel-b-smith-29619_anxiety_anxiety-compels-a-person-to-think-but-it_2426244.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/884/daniel-b-smith-29619_anxiety_anxiety-compels-a-person-to-think-but-it_2426244.jpg) > ““Anxiety compels a person to think, but it is the type of thinking that gives thinking a bad name: solipsistic, self-eviscerating, unremitting, vicious.”” [Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Anxiety drives overthinking, which often becomes self‑destructive and unproductive, undermining its own purpose. **In simple terms:** Anxiety causes harmful overthinking. Key Takeaway Break the cycle of destructive thoughts. Themes anxiety thinking self‑criticism mental health Mood concerned analytical hopeful Type psychological self‑help When to use this quote - therapy sessions - personal journaling - stress management - mindfulness practice Key Concepts cognitive distortion rumination self‑sabotage Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your most unhelpful thoughts? - How can you transform anxiety into constructive action? A Different Perspective May overlook that some anxiety can be motivating. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Anxiety Compels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety-compels-6154181/) [Person Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-think-370102/) [Solipsistic Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solipsistic-self-1573971/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-bad-558514/) ## Related quotes > [The essays are very solipsistic and self-absorbed, I'm totally conscious of that. 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If you f - up enough times, they forget which one you really did. They start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-think-there-must-be-safety-in-numbers-if-you-f-up-enough-times-they/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [A good model guides your thinking, a bad one warps it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-marick/a-good-model-guides-your-thinking-a-bad-one-warps-it/) [Brian Marick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-marick/) > [Refuse to ruin a perfectly good today by thinking about a bad yesterday .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/refuse-to-ruin-a-perfectly-good-today-by-thinking-about-a-bad/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Too much thinking is a bad thing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-simms/too-much-thinking-is-a-bad-thing-sometimes/) [Phil Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-simms/) > [No one's busy thinking bad things about you. 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I can't stand to hear some gung-ho individual say that with positive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/to-be-candid-some-people-have-given-positive-thinking-a-bad-name-i/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [Don't ruin a good today by thinking about a bad yesterday. Let it go...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-ruin-a-good-today-by-thinking-about-a-bad-yesterday-let-it-go/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you ruin your good times thinking about the bad times, you’ll never really have good times.” “You”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-vicars/if-you-ruin-your-good-times-thinking-about-the-bad-times-you-ll-never/) [Brenda Vicars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-vicars/) > [I've gotten to the point I won't even watch the 11 o'clock news. You just walk away from it thinking how bad everything is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/i-ve-gotten-to-the-point-i-won-t-even-watch-the-11-o-clock-news-you/) [Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/) ## More by Daniel B. Smith > [“This is why therapists go to such lengths to urge their anxious patients away from intellectualization: The first step toward peace is disarmament.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-b-smith/this-is-why-therapists-go-to-such-lengths-to-urge-their-anxious/) [Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) > [“Freedom is anxiety's petri dish. If routine blunts anxiety, freedom incubates it. Freedom says, "Even if you don't want to make choices, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-b-smith/freedom-is-anxiety-s-petri-dish-if-routine-blunts-anxiety-freedom/) [Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) > [“Singin' In the Rain might get you through an anxious week or two, but it won't get you through an anxious life. For that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-b-smith/singin-in-the-rain-might-get-you-through-an-anxious-week-or-two-but/) [Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) > [“It's like I've had a stroke. Do you think I've had a stroke?" "I don't think you've had a stroke." "But how do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-b-smith/it-s-like-i-ve-had-a-stroke-do-you-think-i-ve-had-a-stroke-i-don-t/) [Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) > [“I felt so skinless at times! Things hit me so hard!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-b-smith/i-felt-so-skinless-at-times-things-hit-me-so-hard/) [Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) > [“By the tie I arrived at the clinic I was typically so demoralized I could barely stand. 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If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-b-smith/if-this-all-sounds-melodramatic-well-that-too-isn-t-a-bad-metaphor/) [Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) > [“He isn’t trying to transform himself into something different; he’s trying to transform someone different back into himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-b-smith/he-isn-t-trying-to-transform-himself-into-something-different-he-s/) [Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) > [“Freud was of the opinion that in fear a person is responding to a specific and immediate threat to physical safety while in anxiety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-b-smith/freud-was-of-the-opinion-that-in-fear-a-person-is-responding-to-a/) [Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) > [“To be anxious wasn’t shameful, it was a high calling. 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Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) > [“And what nags me about this is that the source of my anxiety was exactly what Kierkegaard says the source of anxiety is, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-b-smith/and-what-nags-me-about-this-is-that-the-source-of-my-anxiety-was/) [Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) [Explore all 18 Daniel B. Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/) ## More Anxiety quotes > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) [Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/) > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I get nervous when I don't get nervous. If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [“I guess if we're talking about my anxiety, the even truthier truth is it started way before that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/i-guess-if-we-re-talking-about-my-anxiety-the-even-truthier-truth-is/) [Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. 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