--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You don't realize how terrifying the…" description: "\"“You don't realize how terrifying the world can be for someone like that, someone who would rather stay in a familiar hole than an unfamiliar mansion.”..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ab/david-wong-1098_terrifying_you-don-t-realize-how-terrifying-the-wor_435150.png" --- # You don't realize how terrifying the world can be for… ![“You don't realize how terrifying the world can be for someone like that, someone who would rather stay in a familiar hole than an unfamiliar mansion.” quote by David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ab/david-wong-1098_terrifying_you-don-t-realize-how-terrifying-the-wor_435150.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ab/david-wong-1098_terrifying_you-don-t-realize-how-terrifying-the-wor_435150.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ab/david-wong-1098_terrifying_you-don-t-realize-how-terrifying-the-wor_435150.png) > ““You don't realize how terrifying the world can be for someone like that, someone who would rather stay in a familiar hole than an unfamiliar mansion.”” [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) ## 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 trap people in comfort zones, making unfamiliar opportunities seem threatening. **In simple terms:** Fear keeps us in familiar places. Key Takeaway Challenge comfort zones. Themes fear comfort growth Mood anxious motivated Type cautionary encouraging When to use this quote - career change - social integration - personal development Key Concepts Psychology risk aversion Questions to Reflect On - What familiar “hole” are you avoiding? - When has stepping into the unknown helped you? A Different Perspective Some fear is rational and protective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Terrifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrifying/) ## Related quotes > [I do think we're on the edge of a terrifying world, and that many young people know that but don't know how to talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/i-do-think-we-re-on-the-edge-of-a-terrifying-world-and-that-many/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [Topographically the country is magnificent - and terrifying. Why terrifying? Because nowhere else in the world is the divorce between man and nature so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/topographically-the-country-is-magnificent-and-terrifying-why/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“It didn't matter what he said. The world is terrifying. It always is. But Cecil reminded her that it was ok to relax in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fink/it-didn-t-matter-what-he-said-the-world-is-terrifying-it-always-is/) [Joseph Fink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fink/) > [“Boredom will eventually set in... and one day you'll be standing still on an island, with no idea where to go, because all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-meister/boredom-will-eventually-set-in-and-one-day-you-ll-be-standing-still/) Kristina Meister > [This terrifying world is not devoid of charms, of the mornings that make waking up worthwhile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/this-terrifying-world-is-not-devoid-of-charms-of-the-mornings-that/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Senseless violence is, almost by definition, hard to understand. Not that I can understand terrorists who kill from hate, but at least we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-estrich/senseless-violence-is-almost-by-definition-hard-to-understand-not/) [Susan Estrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-estrich/) > [He had been through a good deal in the course of the Great Quest — he had seen beautiful things and horrible things —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/he-had-been-through-a-good-deal-in-the-course-of-the-great-quest-he/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [The nine most terrifying words in the English language are "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-nine-most-terrifying-words-in-the-english-language-are-i-m-from/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [What Messi does is terrifying. It's indescribable magic. You can't analyze it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-luis-menotti/what-messi-does-is-terrifying-it-s-indescribable-magic-you-can-t/) [Cesar Luis Menotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-luis-menotti/) > [Trying to put music out there in the world is a pretty exciting, yet terrifying, thing and I've just been through the ringer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-bruno/trying-to-put-music-out-there-in-the-world-is-a-pretty-exciting-yet/) [Aaron Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-bruno/) > [You have to find a balance with food in your life - you can't take out food. It can be absolutely terrifying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carre-otis/you-have-to-find-a-balance-with-food-in-your-life-you-can-t-take-out/) [Carre Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carre-otis/) > [The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/the-threat-is-usually-more-terrifying-than-the-thing-itself/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [You are terrifying, and strange, and beautiful. Something not everyone knows how to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/you-are-terrifying-and-strange-and-beautiful-something-not-everyone/) [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) > [It's fucking terrifying that no matter how many promises they made, no matter how long you've been together, someone can get up & walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larissa-derrah/it-s-fucking-terrifying-that-no-matter-how-many-promises-they-made-no/) Larissa Derrah > [“I find it terrifying how any of us can die at any moment, yet we live our lives always planning for the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr-user/i-find-it-terrifying-how-any-of-us-can-die-at-any-moment-yet-we-live/) Tumblr user ## More by David Wong > [“A realization washed over her in that cold, dark space: this was how virtually all living things born on earth have died—with teeth tearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/a-realization-washed-over-her-in-that-cold-dark-space-this-was-how/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Let’s say you have an ax. Just a cheap one, from Home Depot. On one bitter winter day, you use said ax to behead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/let-s-say-you-have-an-ax-just-a-cheap-one-from-home-depot-on-one/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“John, let me make one thing clear,” Jim said, cutting me off in his most stern, evangelical voice. “Every man is blessed with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/john-let-me-make-one-thing-clear-jim-said-cutting-me-off-in-his-most/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“John ducked casually across some DO NOT DUCK CASUALLY ACROSS THIS TAPE tape”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/john-ducked-casually-across-some-do-not-duck-casually-across-this/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“He made the engine growl and told the headlights to fuck the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/he-made-the-engine-growl-and-told-the-headlights-to-fuck-the-night/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Marconi said, "I see you have your instruments. Can any of you sing? The old spirituals work best." John said, "I can sing." I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/marconi-said-i-see-you-have-your-instruments-can-any-of-you-sing-the/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“It’s the microscopic parasite that causes malaria. Nearly half of all human deaths in recorded history have been caused by this invisible assassin. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/it-s-the-microscopic-parasite-that-causes-malaria-nearly-half-of-all/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [At this point two elderly security guards in parkas, the guys who normally work the front desk at the plant, asked John to step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/at-this-point-two-elderly-security-guards-in-parkas-the-guys-who/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“I stared at the price tags and thought, Why don’t you fucking kill yourself? I have that thought a lot, actually. Hey, did you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/i-stared-at-the-price-tags-and-thought-why-don-t-you-fucking-kill/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Well, you’d better hope I am because the world was built by sociopaths, men willing to send a million innocent boys into battle to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/well-you-d-better-hope-i-am-because-the-world-was-built-by-sociopaths/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [There is no word in the English language for the feeling someone gets when they suddenly realize they're standing next to an unholy monster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/there-is-no-word-in-the-english-language-for-the-feeling-someone-gets/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Around us, the disembodied human limbs were piling up, forming a circle around the fountain, fusing themselves to each other like Satan’s LEGO set.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/around-us-the-disembodied-human-limbs-were-piling-up-forming-a-circle/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“I tried to say something cool, wound up stammering something like, “WANNA YOU WANNA WEENIE ME?” The end kind of trailed off in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/i-tried-to-say-something-cool-wound-up-stammering-something-like/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [John flung himself into a pseudo-karate stance, one hand poised behind him and one in front, posed like a cartoon cactus. I thought for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/john-flung-himself-into-a-pseudo-karate-stance-one-hand-poised-behind/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Imagine fifty thousand men trapped on a desert island, deprived of food and water and sex but somehow kept alive for fifty thousand years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/imagine-fifty-thousand-men-trapped-on-a-desert-island-deprived-of/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) [Explore all 294 David Wong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) ## More Terrifying quotes > [“I find it terrifying how any of us can die at any moment, yet we live our lives always planning for the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr-user/i-find-it-terrifying-how-any-of-us-can-die-at-any-moment-yet-we-live/) Tumblr user > [It's fucking terrifying that no matter how many promises they made, no matter how long you've been together, someone can get up & walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larissa-derrah/it-s-fucking-terrifying-that-no-matter-how-many-promises-they-made-no/) Larissa Derrah > [You are terrifying, and strange, and beautiful. Something not everyone knows how to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/you-are-terrifying-and-strange-and-beautiful-something-not-everyone/) [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) > [The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/the-threat-is-usually-more-terrifying-than-the-thing-itself/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [You have to find a balance with food in your life - you can't take out food. It can be absolutely terrifying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carre-otis/you-have-to-find-a-balance-with-food-in-your-life-you-can-t-take-out/) [Carre Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carre-otis/) > [Trying to put music out there in the world is a pretty exciting, yet terrifying, thing and I've just been through the ringer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-bruno/trying-to-put-music-out-there-in-the-world-is-a-pretty-exciting-yet/) [Aaron Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-bruno/) > [What Messi does is terrifying. It's indescribable magic. You can't analyze it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-luis-menotti/what-messi-does-is-terrifying-it-s-indescribable-magic-you-can-t/) [Cesar Luis Menotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-luis-menotti/) > [The nine most terrifying words in the English language are "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-nine-most-terrifying-words-in-the-english-language-are-i-m-from/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [He had been through a good deal in the course of the Great Quest — he had seen beautiful things and horrible things —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/he-had-been-through-a-good-deal-in-the-course-of-the-great-quest-he/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [Senseless violence is, almost by definition, hard to understand. Not that I can understand terrorists who kill from hate, but at least we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-estrich/senseless-violence-is-almost-by-definition-hard-to-understand-not/) [Susan Estrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-estrich/) > [There were also horror shows on the radio. Very terrifying and thrilling to me as a kid. They had all these creepy sound effects.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hagedorn/there-were-also-horror-shows-on-the-radio-very-terrifying-and/) [Jessica Hagedorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hagedorn/) > [I’ll always defend the people I love even though I’m as terrifying as a baby penguin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-horan/i-ll-always-defend-the-people-i-love-even-though-i-m-as-terrifying-as/) [Niall Horan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niall-horan/) > [I'm curious about what makes people do things that they do, unless it's absolutely terrifying to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-m-curious-about-what-makes-people-do-things-that-they-do-unless-it/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [To feel is perhaps the most terrifying thing in this society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-taylor/to-feel-is-perhaps-the-most-terrifying-thing-in-this-society/) [Cecil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-taylor/) > [I really enjoyed being pregnant up until the point when the terrifying pains began.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-weymouth/i-really-enjoyed-being-pregnant-up-until-the-point-when-the/) [Emma Weymouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-weymouth/) [Browse all 570 Terrifying quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrifying/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You don't realize how terrifying the world can be for someone like that, someone who would rather stay in a familiar hole than an unfamiliar mansion.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Wong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/you-don-t-realize-how-terrifying-the-world-can-be-for-someone-like/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Terrifying" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/you-don-t-realize-how-terrifying-the-world-can-be-for-someone-like/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ab/david-wong-1098_terrifying_you-don-t-realize-how-terrifying-the-wor_435150.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ab/david-wong-1098_terrifying_you-don-t-realize-how-terrifying-the-wor_435150.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ab/david-wong-1098_terrifying_you-don-t-realize-how-terrifying-the-wor_435150.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You don't realize how terrifying the world can be for someone like that, someone who would rather stay in a…” — David Wong", "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 Wong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You don't realize how terrifying the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/you-don-t-realize-how-terrifying-the-world-can-be-for-someone-like/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/you-don-t-realize-how-terrifying-the-world-can-be-for-someone-like/#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 } } ] } ```