--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was taking my advance freefall course…" description: "\"I was taking my advance freefall course, doing my level 1 jump. My heart was racing. Like I said, I have a lot of fear with falling, so I panicked. The..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/dean-potter-4051_airplane_i-was-taking-my-advance-freefall-course_1205674.jpg" --- # I was taking my advance freefall course, doing my level 1… ![“I was taking my advance freefall course, doing my level 1 jump. My heart was racing. Like I said, I have a lot of fear with falling, so I panicked. Then I let go of the door of the airplane and kind of panicked the entire way. But after a few jumps I grew more calm, realized what was going on, and…” quote by Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/dean-potter-4051_airplane_i-was-taking-my-advance-freefall-course_1205674.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/dean-potter-4051_airplane_i-was-taking-my-advance-freefall-course_1205674.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/dean-potter-4051_airplane_i-was-taking-my-advance-freefall-course_1205674.jpg) > “I was taking my advance freefall course, doing my level 1 jump. My heart was racing. Like I said, I have a lot of fear with falling, so I panicked. Then I let go of the door of the airplane and kind of panicked the entire way. But after a few jumps I grew more calm, realized what was going on, and I think that was the key. The more calm I got, the more relaxed I was.” [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing fear directly and staying calm transforms panic into control, allowing performance to improve. **In simple terms:** Calmness reduces panic during risky activities. Key Takeaway Stay calm to manage fear. Themes fear performance mindset Mood anxious focused Type motivational advice When to use this quote - skydiving - first jumps - training sessions - high‑stress tasks Key Concepts psychology risk management self-regulation Questions to Reflect On - How can you cultivate calm before a high‑risk activity? - What techniques help maintain composure under pressure? A Different Perspective Calmness alone may not eliminate underlying anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Airplane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/airplane/) [Calm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calm/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Falling Panicked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falling-panicked-3634269/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Falling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-falling/) [Grew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keys/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Panicked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-panicked-3634270/) [Letting go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-go/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [My heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-heart/) [Panicked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/panicked/) [Panicked Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/panicked-let-3634271/) [Plane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plane/) [Racing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racing/) [Relaxed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relaxed/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I started free-soloing harder and harder routes, kind of proving to myself that I could take control of this, pretty much the biggest fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/i-started-free-soloing-harder-and-harder-routes-kind-of-proving-to/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo. What is vertigo? Fear of falling? No, Vertigo is something other than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/anyone-whose-goal-is-something-higher-must-expect-someday-to-suffer-2/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“I've heard an idea proposed, I've no idea how seriously, to account for the sensation of vertigo. It's an idea that I instinctively like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-ve-heard-an-idea-proposed-i-ve-no-idea-how-seriously-to-account-for/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Don't let the fear of falling keep you from flying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-connelly/don-t-let-the-fear-of-falling-keep-you-from-flying/) [Mariana Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-connelly/) > [Bathtub falls and police officers kill more Americans than terrorism, yet we've been asked to sacrifice our most sacred rights for fear of falling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/bathtub-falls-and-police-officers-kill-more-americans-than-terrorism/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [“When you fear falling, you never get off the ground.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/addison-killebrew/when-you-fear-falling-you-never-get-off-the-ground/) [Addison Killebrew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/addison-killebrew/) > [“In my own country I am in a far off land. I am strong but have no power. I win all yet remain a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-villon/in-my-own-country-i-am-in-a-far-off-land-i-am-strong-but-have-no/) [Francois Villon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-villon/) > [“When a man is standing at the top of a cliff, it isn’t fear of falling that keeps him rooted to the edge —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristelle-comby/when-a-man-is-standing-at-the-top-of-a-cliff-it-isn-t-fear-of-falling/) [Cristelle Comby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristelle-comby/) > [When one sleeps on the floor, one need not fear falling out of bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-szandor-lavey/when-one-sleeps-on-the-floor-one-need-not-fear-falling-out-of-bed/) [Anton Szandor LaVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-szandor-lavey/) > [“Things can be fixed. Relationship CANNOT. Its like standing on a cracked glass plane, you might just adjust yourself for the time being but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/things-can-be-fixed-relationship-cannot-its-like-standing-on-a/) [Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/) > [“vertigo is something other than the fear of falling. It is the voice of emptiness below us which tempts and lures us, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/vertigo-is-something-other-than-the-fear-of-falling-it-is-the-voice/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [I have this fear of falling in front of large groups of people. That's why I tend not to wear heels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-have-this-fear-of-falling-in-front-of-large-groups-of-people-that-s/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [“car. If this mystery man wasn’t already standing in front of me, I would fear falling face first into the gravel. Once he’s gotten”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-elvira/car-if-this-mystery-man-wasn-t-already-standing-in-front-of-me-i/) [Justine Elvira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-elvira/) > [“I don't know how much we will rise," I say stoutly. "And I have no fear of falling. He looks at me. "You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/i-don-t-know-how-much-we-will-rise-i-say-stoutly-and-i-have-no-fear/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [“But none are so safe from sin as they that fear the falling into it most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gurnall/but-none-are-so-safe-from-sin-as-they-that-fear-the-falling-into-it/) [William Gurnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gurnall/) ## More by Dean Potter > [Thirty guys equals five percent die-off among active wingsuit base jumpers. That means there's a flaw in our system and you're an idiot if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/thirty-guys-equals-five-percent-die-off-among-active-wingsuit-base/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [Part of me says it's kind of crazy to think you can fly your human body. Another part of me thinks all of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/part-of-me-says-it-s-kind-of-crazy-to-think-you-can-fly-your-human/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [Climbing for me is about being free. It's just to move and be uninhibited and feel and tap into the connection with nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/climbing-for-me-is-about-being-free-it-s-just-to-move-and-be/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [Most people in my life who didn't follow their dreams weren't happy. Their lives seem so strange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/most-people-in-my-life-who-didn-t-follow-their-dreams-weren-t-happy/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [I think my dad's dream really was just to have a good family, treat them well, to keep them together, and he did everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/i-think-my-dad-s-dream-really-was-just-to-have-a-good-family-treat/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [Chasing after the unattainable is the fun part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/chasing-after-the-unattainable-is-the-fun-part/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [I got a lot of inspiration and encouragement from my friend and ultra-runner Scott Jurek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/i-got-a-lot-of-inspiration-and-encouragement-from-my-friend-and-ultra/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [Often in normal life I'm just constricted to what I see, maybe, and hear. But when I climb and when I'm out in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/often-in-normal-life-i-m-just-constricted-to-what-i-see-maybe-and/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [I don't have a lot of pressure on myself to be successful. I'm more of an artist. I just try to make myself more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/i-don-t-have-a-lot-of-pressure-on-myself-to-be-successful-i-m-more-of/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [In climbing, if you injure just one finger you can't do it. But with slacklining as long as you can walk, you can walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/in-climbing-if-you-injure-just-one-finger-you-can-t-do-it-but-with/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [When I was a little boy, my first memory was a flying dream. In my dream, I flew - and I also fell. 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I've dove 212 feet under water. I've done a lot of things that defied death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/i-ve-jumped-out-of-an-airplane-34-times-i-ve-dove-212-feet-under/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [I believe that anyone who flies in an airplane and doesn't spend most of his time looking out the window wastes his money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-reisner/i-believe-that-anyone-who-flies-in-an-airplane-and-doesn-t-spend-most/) [Marc Reisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-reisner/) > [We live in a world where it has become politically correct to avoid absolutes. 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