--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most destructive element in the human…" description: "\"The most destructive element in the human mind is fear. Fear creates aggressiveness; aggressiveness engenders hostility; hostility engenders fear, a di..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/dorothy-thompson-17557_aggressiveness_the-most-destructive-element-in-the-huma_1864039.jpg" --- # The most destructive element in the human mind is fear… ![“The most destructive element in the human mind is fear. Fear creates aggressiveness; aggressiveness engenders hostility; hostility engenders fear, a disastrous circle.” quote by Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/dorothy-thompson-17557_aggressiveness_the-most-destructive-element-in-the-huma_1864039.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/dorothy-thompson-17557_aggressiveness_the-most-destructive-element-in-the-huma_1864039.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/dorothy-thompson-17557_aggressiveness_the-most-destructive-element-in-the-huma_1864039.jpg) > “The most destructive element in the human mind is fear. Fear creates aggressiveness; aggressiveness engenders hostility; hostility engenders fear, a disastrous circle.” [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear triggers a chain reaction of aggression and hostility, which then reinforces fear, creating a self‑sustaining cycle of destruction. **In simple terms:** Fear leads to aggression, then hostility, then more fear. Key Takeaway Break the cycle by confronting fear directly. Themes psychology conflict human behavior emotions Mood anxious tense reflective Type cautionary psychological When to use this quote - personal relationships - political discourse - workplace tension - conflict resolution Key Concepts feedback loop aggression social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you interrupt the fear‑aggression loop? - What strategies reduce fear in groups? A Different Perspective Fear can also motivate protective actions, not only negative cycles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aggressiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggressiveness/) [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Hostility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostility/) [Human mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-mind/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [The most destructive element in the human mind is fear. Fear creates aggressiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/the-most-destructive-element-in-the-human-mind-is-fear-fear-creates/) [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) > [“Clarity is blinding and can be the most destructive element of all in human relations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peter-nettl/clarity-is-blinding-and-can-be-the-most-destructive-element-of-all-in/) [John Peter Nettl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peter-nettl/) > [“In the destructive element immerse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/in-the-destructive-element-immerse/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [The poor suffer twice at the rioter's hands. First, his destructive fury scars their neighborhood; second, the atmosphere of accommodation and consent is changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/the-poor-suffer-twice-at-the-rioter-s-hands-first-his-destructive/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high Where knowledge is free …](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/where-the-mind-is-without-fear-and-the-head-is-held-high-where-3/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [It is the characteristic of a weak and diseased mind to fear the unfamiliar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/it-is-the-characteristic-of-a-weak-and-diseased-mind-to-fear-the/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [When one’s mind is made up... fear diminishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosa-parks/when-one-s-mind-is-made-up-fear-diminishes/) [Rosa Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosa-parks/) > [Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. Fear is simply because you are not living with self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/fear-is-an-unpleasant-emotion-caused-by-the-threat-of-danger-pain-or/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [“He thought the fear of death was perhaps the root of all art, perhaps also of all things of the mind. We fear death,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/he-thought-the-fear-of-death-was-perhaps-the-root-of-all-art-perhaps/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [...heaven may be only the mind's fear of the wonders it imagines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-digges/heaven-may-be-only-the-mind-s-fear-of-the-wonders-it-imagines/) Deborah Digges > [To rule by fettering the mind through fear of punishment in another world is just as base as to use force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hypatia/to-rule-by-fettering-the-mind-through-fear-of-punishment-in-another-2/) [Hypatia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hypatia/) > [“To rule by fettering the mind through fear of punishment in another world, is just as base as to use force... Reserve your right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hypatia/to-rule-by-fettering-the-mind-through-fear-of-punishment-in-another/) [Hypatia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hypatia/) > [A child of broken mind, the fear that I hide behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/a-child-of-broken-mind-the-fear-that-i-hide-behind/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [If you share your secrets even your deep darkest it can help free your mind. The fear must be faced to get relief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devjean/if-you-share-your-secrets-even-your-deep-darkest-it-can-help-free/) DevJean > [Disease is an experience of a so-called mortal mind. It is fear made manifest on the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-baker-eddy/disease-is-an-experience-of-a-so-called-mortal-mind-it-is-fear-made/) [Mary Baker Eddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-baker-eddy/) ## More by Dorothy Thompson > [Peace has to be created, in order to be maintained. It is the product of Faith, Strength, Energy, Will, Sympathy, Justice, Imagination, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/peace-has-to-be-created-in-order-to-be-maintained-it-is-the-product/) [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) > [“When liberty is taken away by force, it can be restored by force. When it is relinquished by default it can never be recovered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/when-liberty-is-taken-away-by-force-it-can-be-restored-by-force-when/) [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) > [Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/courage-it-would-seem-is-nothing-less-than-the-power-to-overcome/) [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) > [“Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/peace-is-not-the-absence-of-conflict-but-the-presence-of-creative/) [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) > [The instinct to worship is hardly less strong than the instinct to eat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/the-instinct-to-worship-is-hardly-less-strong-than-the-instinct-to-eat/) [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) > [Age is not measured by years. 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Fear creates aggressiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/the-most-destructive-element-in-the-human-mind-is-fear-fear-creates/) [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) > [Of all forms of government and society, those of free men and women are in many respects the most brittle. They give the fullest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/of-all-forms-of-government-and-society-those-of-free-men-and-women/) [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) > [“Fear grows in darkness; if you think there's a bogeyman around, turn on the light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/fear-grows-in-darkness-if-you-think-there-s-a-bogeyman-around-turn-on/) [DOROTHY THOMPSON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) > [Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/only-when-we-are-no-longer-afraid-do-we-begin-to-live/) [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) > [Lawlessness is a self-perpetuating, ever-expanding habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/lawlessness-is-a-self-perpetuating-ever-expanding-habit/) [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) > [Women have had the vote for over forty years and their organizations lobby in Washington for all sorts of causes; why, why, why don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/women-have-had-the-vote-for-over-forty-years-and-their-organizations/) [Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) [Explore all 37 Dorothy Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/) ## More Aggressiveness quotes > [As far as I'm concerned, Parnelli Jones was the greatest driver of his era. 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They need to know the universe of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/educators-need-to-know-what-happens-in-the-world-of-the-children-with/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [I don’t eat meat because meat brings out negative qualities such as fear, anger, anxiety, aggressiveness, etc. Vegetables peacefully offer themselves to the earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/i-don-t-eat-meat-because-meat-brings-out-negative-qualities-such-as/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [The main thing about Bruce Lee is that, he was a little guy. 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He uses his size to project power: he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/you-ve-got-to-give-it-to-trump-he-s-hateful-but-it-s-hard-to-look/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“In the era of angry and aggressive policing, it is an honorable service to your fellow citizens to video record police officers interactions with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/in-the-era-of-angry-and-aggressive-policing-it-is-an-honorable/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I think that was one thing I definitely brought to the table, my aggressiveness and my style of play, and I think that's one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latrell-sprewell/i-think-that-was-one-thing-i-definitely-brought-to-the-table-my/) [Latrell Sprewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latrell-sprewell/) > [Aggressiveness is not the main trouble with the human species, but rather an excess capacity for fanatical devotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/aggressiveness-is-not-the-main-trouble-with-the-human-species-but/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I was trying to find out what happened in my lifetime, because I was an older man. 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