--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Brave people may be persuaded to an…" description: "\"Brave people may be persuaded to an action by representing it as being more dangerous than it really is.\" — Friedrich Nietzsche" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/friedrich-nietzsche-15_action_brave-people-may-be-persuaded-to-an-acti_478660.jpg" --- # Brave people may be persuaded to an action by representing… ![“Brave people may be persuaded to an action by representing it as being more dangerous than it really is.” quote by Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/friedrich-nietzsche-15_action_brave-people-may-be-persuaded-to-an-acti_478660.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/friedrich-nietzsche-15_action_brave-people-may-be-persuaded-to-an-acti_478660.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/friedrich-nietzsche-15_action_brave-people-may-be-persuaded-to-an-acti_478660.jpg) > “Brave people may be persuaded to an action by representing it as being more dangerous than it really is.” [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People can be motivated to act by exaggerating danger, exploiting fear to compel compliance. **In simple terms:** Fear of danger can be used to push people into action. Key Takeaway Question the motives behind fear‑based persuasion. Themes psychology influence ethics Mood critical skeptical analytical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - political campaigning - marketing - personal decision making Key Concepts fear appeal risk perception manipulation Questions to Reflect On - What dangers are real versus constructed? - How do you assess genuine risk? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on danger can lead to paranoia or unnecessary risk avoidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Brave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave/) [Brave People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave-people/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Dangerous Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous-really-1283544/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Persuaded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-persuaded-2602423/) [Persuasion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persuasion/) [Representing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representing/) [Representing Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representing-dangerous-4119751/) ## Related quotes > [Considering how dangerous everything is, nothing is really very frightening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/considering-how-dangerous-everything-is-nothing-is-really-very/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Lots of the things we do are dangerous, but life itself is dangerous; nothing is really worth bothering with that isn't full of danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/lots-of-the-things-we-do-are-dangerous-but-life-itself-is-dangerous/) [Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/) > [If all the media are singing one song, it gets dangerous; it really does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margarita-simonyan/if-all-the-media-are-singing-one-song-it-gets-dangerous-it-really-does/) [Margarita Simonyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margarita-simonyan/) > [ People are persuaded by reason, but moved by emotion; \[the leader\] must both persuade them and move them. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/people-are-persuaded-by-reason-but-moved-by-emotion-the-leader-must/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [One phrase I would dearly like to consign to the can is 'Out of the Box.' The thinking that told us we should invade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/one-phrase-i-would-dearly-like-to-consign-to-the-can-is-out-of-the/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [This is a world inhabited not by people who have to be persuaded to believe but by people who want an excuse to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/this-is-a-world-inhabited-not-by-people-who-have-to-be-persuaded-to/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [In the end, people are persuaded not by what we say, but by what they understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/in-the-end-people-are-persuaded-not-by-what-we-say-but-by-what-they/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [People are being persuaded to spend money we dont have, on things we dont need, to create impressions that wont last, on people we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-are-being-persuaded-to-spend-money-we-dont-have-on-things-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A learned County Court judge in a book of memoirs recently said that the overwhelming amount of his time on the bench was taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/1st-baron-greene-wilfred-greene/a-learned-county-court-judge-in-a-book-of-memoirs-recently-said-that/) [1st Baron Greene Wilfred Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/1st-baron-greene-wilfred-greene/) > [There are people who are so presumptuous that they know no other way to praise a greatness that they publicly admire than by representing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/there-are-people-who-are-so-presumptuous-that-they-know-no-other-way/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Christianity has taken the part of all the weak, the low, the botched; it has made an ideal out of antagonism to all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/christianity-has-taken-the-part-of-all-the-weak-the-low-the-botched/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Sometimes all you need to do to win clever people over to a principle is to present it in the form of a shocking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/sometimes-all-you-need-to-do-to-win-clever-people-over-to-a-principle/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Every fact and every work exercises a fresh persuasion over every age and every new species of man. History always enunciates new truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-fact-and-every-work-exercises-a-fresh-persuasion-over-every-age/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Every man has his price. This is not true. But for every man there exists a bait which he cannot resist swallowing. To win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-man-has-his-price-this-is-not-true-but-for-every-man-there/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [THE British are brave people. They can face anything, except reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mikes/the-british-are-brave-people-they-can-face-anything-except-reality/) [George Mikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikes/) ## More by Friedrich Nietzsche > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-select-man-strives-instinctively-for-a-citadel-and-a-privacy/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“79. A soul which knows that it is loved, but does not itself love, betrays its sediment: its dregs come up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/79-a-soul-which-knows-that-it-is-loved-but-does-not-itself-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [We deceive ourselves when giving respect to the person for whom we have surrendered ourselves, when we respectively expect them to be as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-deceive-ourselves-when-giving-respect-to-the-person-for-whom-we/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“The great periods of our life occur when we gain the courage to rechristen what is bad about us as what is best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-great-periods-of-our-life-occur-when-we-gain-the-courage-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“What is life? Life - that is: continually shedding something that wants to die. Life - that is: being cruel and inexorable against everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/what-is-life-life-that-is-continually-shedding-something-that-wants/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It is thus only this personal feeling of misery that we get rid of by acts of pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-thus-only-this-personal-feeling-of-misery-that-we-get-rid-of-by/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Writers whose thoughts are expressed with clarity and precision are assumed by readers to be superficial. Where the meaning is obscured, then readers give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/writers-whose-thoughts-are-expressed-with-clarity-and-precision-are/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“he does not wear a twitching, mobile, human face, but rather a mask, as it were, with its features in dignified equilibrium; he does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/he-does-not-wear-a-twitching-mobile-human-face-but-rather-a-mask-as/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Chastity is a virtue with some, but with many it is almost a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/chastity-is-a-virtue-with-some-but-with-many-it-is-almost-a-vice/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The earth is like the breasts of a woman: useful as well as pleasing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-earth-is-like-the-breasts-of-a-woman-useful-as-well-as-pleasing/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Of all that is written I love only what a man has written in his own blood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/of-all-that-is-written-i-love-only-what-a-man-has-written-in-his-own/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Pain makes hens and poets cackle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/pain-makes-hens-and-poets-cackle/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) [Explore all 3,486 Friedrich Nietzsche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [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/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/) [Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) [Browse all 14,940 Action quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Brave people may be persuaded to an action by representing it as being more dangerous than it really is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Friedrich Nietzsche" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/brave-people-may-be-persuaded-to-an-action-by-representing-it-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Action" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/brave-people-may-be-persuaded-to-an-action-by-representing-it-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/friedrich-nietzsche-15_action_brave-people-may-be-persuaded-to-an-acti_478660.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/friedrich-nietzsche-15_action_brave-people-may-be-persuaded-to-an-acti_478660.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/friedrich-nietzsche-15_action_brave-people-may-be-persuaded-to-an-acti_478660.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Brave people may be persuaded to an action by representing it as being more dangerous than it really is.” — Friedrich Nietzsche", "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": "Friedrich Nietzsche", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Brave people may be persuaded to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/brave-people-may-be-persuaded-to-an-action-by-representing-it-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/brave-people-may-be-persuaded-to-an-action-by-representing-it-as/#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 } } ] } ```