--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fear is the engine that drives the human…" description: "\"“Fear is the engine that drives the human animal. Humanity sees the world as a place of uncountable threats, and so the world becomes what humanity ima..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/dean-koontz-118_fear_fear-is-the-engine-that-drives-the-human_833936.jpg" --- # Fear is the engine that drives the human animal. Humanity… ![“Fear is the engine that drives the human animal. Humanity sees the world as a place of uncountable threats, and so the world becomes what humanity imagines it to be. They not only live in fear but use fear to control one another. Fearmongering is their true religion.” quote by Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/dean-koontz-118_fear_fear-is-the-engine-that-drives-the-human_833936.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/dean-koontz-118_fear_fear-is-the-engine-that-drives-the-human_833936.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/dean-koontz-118_fear_fear-is-the-engine-that-drives-the-human_833936.jpg) > ““Fear is the engine that drives the human animal. Humanity sees the world as a place of uncountable threats, and so the world becomes what humanity imagines it to be. They not only live in fear but use fear to control one another. Fearmongering is their true religion.”” [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear motivates human behavior and shapes perception, often becoming a tool for control and belief systems. **In simple terms:** Fear drives actions and can dominate societies. Key Takeaway Recognize and question fear‑based narratives. Themes psychology control belief society Mood anxious critical reflective Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - political rhetoric - media consumption - personal relationships - leadership decisions Key Concepts fear as motivator social manipulation religious metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How does fear influence your daily choices? - Can fear be transformed into positive action? A Different Perspective Fear can also inspire resilience and courage, not just oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [True religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-religion/) ## Related quotes > [Self-interest is but the survival of the animal in us. Humanity only begins for man with self-surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/self-interest-is-but-the-survival-of-the-animal-in-us-humanity-only/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [“Killing Fear   I used to be confined to my comfort, of my house or bed. The places I thought couldn’t hurt me, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennae-cecelia/killing-fear-i-used-to-be-confined-to-my-comfort-of-my-house-or-bed/) [Jennae Cecelia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennae-cecelia/) > [1. Organize before they rise! 2. They feel no fear, why should you? 3. Use your head: cut off theirs. 4. Blades don't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-brooks/1-organize-before-they-rise-2-they-feel-no-fear-why-should-you-3-use/) [Max Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-brooks/) > [Fearlessness is a fool's boast, to my mind. The only men with no fear in them are dead, or the soon to be dead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/fearlessness-is-a-fool-s-boast-to-my-mind-the-only-men-with-no-fear/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [Fear has its use, but cowardice has none. I may not put my finger into the jaws of a snake, but the very sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/fear-has-its-use-but-cowardice-has-none-i-may-not-put-my-finger-into/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Procrastination is One of those Excuses, Born of Fear, that we Use to Keep Ourselves Stuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/procrastination-is-one-of-those-excuses-born-of-fear-that-we-use-to/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [I was scared to death, but I made fear score points for me. Fear is right behind me, fear is six inches off my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-jenner/i-was-scared-to-death-but-i-made-fear-score-points-for-me-fear-is/) [Bruce Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-jenner/) > [Never show people what you fear most,they might use it to take your hopes down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casper-mabotja/never-show-people-what-you-fear-most-they-might-use-it-to-take-your/) Casper Mabotja > [“Every man who’s worth a damn feels fear. It’s the use you make of it that counts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/every-man-who-s-worth-a-damn-feels-fear-it-s-the-use-you-make-of-it/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [Fear has its use but cowardice has none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/fear-has-its-use-but-cowardice-has-none/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Having been a fighter for 25 years, I know how to handle the fear. The fear is there, but I use it to motivate me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-calzaghe/having-been-a-fighter-for-25-years-i-know-how-to-handle-the-fear-the/) [Joe Calzaghe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-calzaghe/) > [“I fear we must use bad science to accomplish good politics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cambias/i-fear-we-must-use-bad-science-to-accomplish-good-politics/) [James Cambias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cambias/) > [I have always loved to use fear, to take it and comprehend it and make it work and consolidate a situation where I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/i-have-always-loved-to-use-fear-to-take-it-and-comprehend-it-and-make/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [To use fear as the friend it is, we must retrain and reprogram ourselves...We must persistently and convincingly tell ourselves that the fear is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/to-use-fear-as-the-friend-it-is-we-must-retrain-and-reprogram/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [Step out of the space you're in. Use fear to grow. We can change lives, starting with our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/step-out-of-the-space-you-re-in-use-fear-to-grow-we-can-change-lives/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) ## More by Dean Koontz > [“This kind of derangement is emblematic of humankind. Grave faults are said to be only eccentricities, and imperfections are routinely celebrated as mere differences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/this-kind-of-derangement-is-emblematic-of-humankind-grave-faults-are/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“He often remembered his dad's admonition that envy was mental theft. If you coveted another man's possessions, Dad said, then you should be willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/he-often-remembered-his-dad-s-admonition-that-envy-was-mental-theft/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [What really holds their marriage together are mutual respect of an awesome depth, a shared sense of humor, faith that they were brought together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/what-really-holds-their-marriage-together-are-mutual-respect-of-an/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Her mother said that three great powers kept the universe going. 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Anger was a medicine but never a cure, briefly numbing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/anger-was-a-reliable-defense-but-one-that-allowed-no-chance-of-final/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Nothing is predetermined for us, and yet all our possible choices are threads in the vast weave of things, so that we have free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/nothing-is-predetermined-for-us-and-yet-all-our-possible-choices-are/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“In fact, time teaches us that the musical score of life oscillates between that of Psycho and that of The Sound of Music, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/in-fact-time-teaches-us-that-the-musical-score-of-life-oscillates/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Some will accuse me of being judgmental. Thank you. And proud of it. You wreck a kid's life, I have no pity for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/some-will-accuse-me-of-being-judgmental-thank-you-and-proud-of-it-you/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Waiting is one of the things that humans beings cannot do well, though it is one of the essential things we must do successfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/waiting-is-one-of-the-things-that-humans-beings-cannot-do-well-though/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Dogs know we need to give affection as much as they need to receive it. They were the first therapists; they've been in practice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/dogs-know-we-need-to-give-affection-as-much-as-they-need-to-receive/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) [Explore all 1,233 Dean Koontz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“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 > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“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/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) [Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Fear is the engine that drives the human animal. Humanity sees the world as a place of uncountable threats, and so the world becomes what humanity imagines it to be. They not only live in fear but use fear to control one another. 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