--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must see that we are afraid of the…" description: "\"We must see that we are afraid of the thing we most desire, and so we live a mediocre life, never bringing to consummation the primary impulse of our h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/david-deida-4851_afraid_we-must-see-that-we-are-afraid-of-the-th_1838493.png" --- # We must see that we are afraid of the thing we most… ![“We must see that we are afraid of the thing we most desire, and so we live a mediocre life, never bringing to consummation the primary impulse of our heart.” quote by David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/david-deida-4851_afraid_we-must-see-that-we-are-afraid-of-the-th_1838493.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/david-deida-4851_afraid_we-must-see-that-we-are-afraid-of-the-th_1838493.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/david-deida-4851_afraid_we-must-see-that-we-are-afraid-of-the-th_1838493.png) > “We must see that we are afraid of the thing we most desire, and so we live a mediocre life, never bringing to consummation the primary impulse of our heart.” [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We avoid our deepest desires out of fear, leading to a half‑hearted life that never fulfills our true purpose. **In simple terms:** Fear blocks true desire, causing mediocrity. Key Takeaway Confront fear to pursue your heart’s true impulse. Themes fear desire mediocrity authenticity Mood anxious reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - relationships - creative projects - spiritual practice Key Concepts psychology existentialism self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - What desire are you suppressing? - How does fear shape your daily choices? A Different Perspective Fear may be rooted in trauma, making it hard to act despite awareness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mediocre life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocre-life/) ## Related quotes > [I actually live a very mediocre lifestyle. So I decided to step back and do things not just for the sake of doing them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-kunis/i-actually-live-a-very-mediocre-lifestyle-so-i-decided-to-step-back/) [Mila Kunis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-kunis/) > [Today is a new day. Don't let your history interfere with your destiny! 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Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-l-jennings/) > [When you are afraid, do the thing you are afraid of and soon you will lose your fear of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/when-you-are-afraid-do-the-thing-you-are-afraid-of-and-soon-you-will/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm afraid I go through the same thing all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-m-afraid-i-go-through-the-same-thing-all-the-time/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [“Because once you're afraid of one thing, you can get scared of a lot of stuff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-dellaira/because-once-you-re-afraid-of-one-thing-you-can-get-scared-of-a-lot/) [Ava Dellaira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-dellaira/) ## More by David Deida > [Live with your lips pressed against your fears, kissing your fears, neither pulling back nor aggressively violating them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/live-with-your-lips-pressed-against-your-fears-kissing-your-fears/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [Men who have lived significant lives are men who never waited: not for money, security, ease, or women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/men-who-have-lived-significant-lives-are-men-who-never-waited-not-for/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [Stop waiting. 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All too easily, we align ourselves with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/very-few-of-us-trust-our-immediate-connection-with-nature-or-the/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [You are either withholding your love in fear or giving your deepest gifts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/you-are-either-withholding-your-love-in-fear-or-giving-your-deepest/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [One misunderstandin g is that if you do the right thing, then life's storms will stop. 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If only living the truth will suffice, then practice the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/if-knowing-the-truth-is-sufficient-for-you-then-practice-the-art-of/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [Every man knows that his highest purpose in life cannot be reduced to any particular relationship. If a man prioritizes his relationship over his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/every-man-knows-that-his-highest-purpose-in-life-cannot-be-reduced-to/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [We eventually learn that emotional closure is our own action. We can be responsible for it. In any moment, we can choose to open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/we-eventually-learn-that-emotional-closure-is-our-own-action-we-can/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) [Explore all 106 David Deida quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. 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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": "We must see that we are afraid of the thing we most desire, and so we live a mediocre life, never bringing to consummation the primary impulse of our heart.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Deida" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/we-must-see-that-we-are-afraid-of-the-thing-we-most-desire-and-so-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afraid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/we-must-see-that-we-are-afraid-of-the-thing-we-most-desire-and-so-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/david-deida-4851_afraid_we-must-see-that-we-are-afraid-of-the-th_1838493.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/david-deida-4851_afraid_we-must-see-that-we-are-afraid-of-the-th_1838493.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/david-deida-4851_afraid_we-must-see-that-we-are-afraid-of-the-th_1838493.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We must see that we are afraid of the thing we most desire, and so we live a mediocre life, never bringing…” — David Deida", "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": "David Deida", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We must see that we are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/we-must-see-that-we-are-afraid-of-the-thing-we-most-desire-and-so-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/we-must-see-that-we-are-afraid-of-the-thing-we-most-desire-and-so-we/#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 } } ] } ```