---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People ask if what I’ve been through has…"
description: "\"“People ask if what I’ve been through has made me afraid and of course, it has. But not of monsters. Only of those who insist they exist.”\" — Emily Mag..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/emily-maguire-29158_afraid_people-ask-if-what-i-ve-been-through-has_2528959.jpg"
---

#  People ask if what I’ve been through has made me afraid…

![“People ask if what I’ve been through has made me afraid and of course, it has. But not of monsters. Only of those who insist they exist.” quote by Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/emily-maguire-29158_afraid_people-ask-if-what-i-ve-been-through-has_2528959.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/emily-maguire-29158_afraid_people-ask-if-what-i-ve-been-through-has_2528959.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/emily-maguire-29158_afraid_people-ask-if-what-i-ve-been-through-has_2528959.jpg)

> ““People ask if what I’ve been through has made me afraid and of course, it has. But not of monsters. Only of those who insist they exist.””

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker is terrified not by monsters but by people who claim monsters exist, highlighting fear of belief and manipulation.

**In simple terms:** Fear of those who claim monsters exist.

Key Takeaway

Question belief that fuels fear.

Themes

fear belief manipulation psychology

Mood

anxious reflective

Type

cautionary psychological

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- political rhetoric
- media consumption

Key Concepts

existential dread social influence

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you challenge harmful narratives?
- What evidence do you need to dismiss fear?

A Different Perspective

Belief in monsters can be a tool for control.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [I've always been afraid of who I am and not knowing what I can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keala-settle/i-ve-always-been-afraid-of-who-i-am-and-not-knowing-what-i-can-do/)

[Keala Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keala-settle/)

> [I've always been more afraid of being left alone or left out than of things that go bump in the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-gidding/i-ve-always-been-more-afraid-of-being-left-alone-or-left-out-than-of/)

Nelson Gidding

> [“If you've never been afraid, you haven't had your moment of bravery just yet”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/if-you-ve-never-been-afraid-you-haven-t-had-your-moment-of-bravery/)

[Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/)

> [We've never been afraid of vampires! -Jacob Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2/we-ve-never-been-afraid-of-vampires-jacob-black/)

[The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 2](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn-part-2/)

> [All my life I was afraid that I would never find love… and now that I've found it, I'm afraid that I will lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nit/all-my-life-i-was-afraid-that-i-would-never-find-love-and-now-that-i/)

Nit

> [I've never been afraid to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-ve-never-been-afraid-to-fail/)

[Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/)

> [I think I've been afraid most of my life to be myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/i-think-i-ve-been-afraid-most-of-my-life-to-be-myself/)

[J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/)

> [Because I've always been more afraid of writing than I have of doing anything visually such as directing or acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-o-connor/because-i-ve-always-been-more-afraid-of-writing-than-i-have-of-doing/)

[Renee O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-o-connor/)

> [Now, don't be angry after you've been afraid. That's the worst kind of cowardice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/now-don-t-be-angry-after-you-ve-been-afraid-that-s-the-worst-kind-of/)

[Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/)

> [“I've been around since the beginning of time, and I’ve never been afraid until I met you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlin-bevis/i-ve-been-around-since-the-beginning-of-time-and-i-ve-never-been/)

[Kaitlin Bevis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlin-bevis/)

> [I've never been afraid to make a polite ask to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-chertavian/i-ve-never-been-afraid-to-make-a-polite-ask-to-someone/)

[Gerald Chertavian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-chertavian/)

> [I've always been afraid of saying no to people because I don't want them to be disappointed and dislike me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-ve-always-been-afraid-of-saying-no-to-people-because-i-don-t-want/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [I've always been afraid of losing people I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-always-been-afraid-of-losing-people-i-love/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When you've been afraid of something for long enough and it comes to pass, the terrible thing is a release. For in the belly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/when-you-ve-been-afraid-of-something-for-long-enough-and-it-comes-to/)

[Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/)

> [In 35 yrs of leading I've been afraid at every major step but I DID IT ANYWAY since I REFUSE let fear run my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/in-35-yrs-of-leading-i-ve-been-afraid-at-every-major-step-but-i-did/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

## More by Emily Maguire

> [“And the worst thing, the unsurvivable thing, is understanding that there exist people who know in their flesh the truth of all this. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/and-the-worst-thing-the-unsurvivable-thing-is-understanding-that/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [“These were the parts of Strathdee the tourists never saw, lined with red-brick and fibro rentals with squat steel fences out front. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/these-were-the-parts-of-strathdee-the-tourists-never-saw-lined-with/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [“That's what Jamie didn't understand: it was never just sex. Even the fastest, dirtiest, most impersonal screw was about more than sex. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/that-s-what-jamie-didn-t-understand-it-was-never-just-sex-even-the/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [“May fiddled with her phone, reminding herself she was good at this and in control and that getting the story was more important than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/may-fiddled-with-her-phone-reminding-herself-she-was-good-at-this-and/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [It was disconcerting that being in love felt lonelier than lonelines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/it-was-disconcerting-that-being-in-love-felt-lonelier-than-lonelines/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [But then, life is a constant withering of possibilities. Some are stolen with the lives of people you love. Others are let go, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/but-then-life-is-a-constant-withering-of-possibilities-some-are/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [“And reading this way - with no deadline, no agenda - she remembered why she loved literature so much. It was like fucking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/and-reading-this-way-with-no-deadline-no-agenda-she-remembered-why/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [“Do something a bit shit, like getting in a fight outside the TAB or getting a DUI, and people around here will bag the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/do-something-a-bit-shit-like-getting-in-a-fight-outside-the-tab-or/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [Sarah learnt a lot from Alex. Like the way men could say one thing, then another, then act in a way inconsistent with both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/sarah-learnt-a-lot-from-alex-like-the-way-men-could-say-one-thing/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [Boys are rarely told that their virginity is a gift, or indeed that their sexuality is about “giving” something to another person – lightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/boys-are-rarely-told-that-their-virginity-is-a-gift-or-indeed-that/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [“She was seventy-three, a widow, came in every night looking like the Queen, drank her body weight in gin and left looking like an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/she-was-seventy-three-a-widow-came-in-every-night-looking-like-the/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [Real love should draw no blood from the loved and buckets from the lover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/real-love-should-draw-no-blood-from-the-loved-and-buckets-from-the/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [“We wish to express our gratitude for the love, concern and support we have received from friends and strangers throughout this last, horrific week.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/we-wish-to-express-our-gratitude-for-the-love-concern-and-support-we/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [The thing I never understood about love is that it can't be quelled, like lust can. With love, if you follow its call, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/the-thing-i-never-understood-about-love-is-that-it-can-t-be-quelled/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

> [“Sarah felt like the bad girl in an eighties teen flick. The girl with big hair and a tight shirt who seduces the nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/sarah-felt-like-the-bad-girl-in-an-eighties-teen-flick-the-girl-with/)

[Emily Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

[Explore all 18 Emily Maguire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/)

## More Afraid quotes

> [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/)

[Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/)

> [“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/)

> [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/)

[Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/)

> [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/)

[Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/)

> [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I'm a pretty fearless person. 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": "“People ask if what I’ve been through has made me afraid and of course, it has. But not of monsters. Only of those who insist they exist.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Emily Maguire"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/people-ask-if-what-i-ve-been-through-has-made-me-afraid-and-of-course/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Afraid"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/people-ask-if-what-i-ve-been-through-has-made-me-afraid-and-of-course/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/emily-maguire-29158_afraid_people-ask-if-what-i-ve-been-through-has_2528959.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/emily-maguire-29158_afraid_people-ask-if-what-i-ve-been-through-has_2528959.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/emily-maguire-29158_afraid_people-ask-if-what-i-ve-been-through-has_2528959.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People ask if what I’ve been through has made me afraid and of course, it has. But not of monsters. Only of…” — Emily Maguire",
                "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": "Emily Maguire",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maguire/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“People ask if what I’ve been...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/people-ask-if-what-i-ve-been-through-has-made-me-afraid-and-of-course/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maguire/people-ask-if-what-i-ve-been-through-has-made-me-afraid-and-of-course/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
