---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many of us crucify ourselves between two…"
description: "\"Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.\" — Fulton Oursler"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/fulton-oursler-51546_acceptance_many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two_2928591.jpg"
---

#  Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret…

![“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.” quote by Fulton Oursler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/fulton-oursler-51546_acceptance_many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two_2928591.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/fulton-oursler-51546_acceptance_many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two_2928591.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/fulton-oursler-51546_acceptance_many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two_2928591.jpg)

> “Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.”

[Fulton Oursler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/)

## About This Quote

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

We trap ourselves between regret for past actions and fear of future outcomes, causing self‑punishment.

**In simple terms:** Regret and fear imprison us.

Key Takeaway

Release past regrets and future anxieties.

Themes

regret fear self‑punishment psychology

Mood

anxious thoughtful

Type

philosophical self‑help

When to use this quote

- relationship breakup
- career decision
- health diagnosis
- personal growth

Key Concepts

cognitive distortion emotional paralysis self‑criticism

Questions to Reflect On

- What regrets dominate your thoughts?
- How does fear shape your choices?

A Different Perspective

Overcoming this trap requires mindfulness and acceptance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear of the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-of-the-future/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Thieves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thieves/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [We crucify ourselves between two thieves: regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/we-crucify-ourselves-between-two-thieves-regret-for-yesterday-and/)

[Fulton Oursler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/)

> [Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves. Regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two-thieves-regret-for-yesterday/)

[Fulton Oursler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/)

> [Don't let the sadness from the past and fear of the future ruin the happiness of the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-cudi/don-t-let-the-sadness-from-the-past-and-fear-of-the-future-ruin-the/)

[Kid Cudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-cudi/)

> [Never let the Sadness of the Past and the Fear of the Future ruin the Happiness of the Present...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kushandwizdom/never-let-the-sadness-of-the-past-and-the-fear-of-the-future-ruin-the/)

[Kushandwizdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kushandwizdom/)

> [Only when all conceptions of space and time, life and death, are exploded, when the grip of the past and fear of the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/only-when-all-conceptions-of-space-and-time-life-and-death-are/)

[Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/)

> [Healing depends on listening with the inner ear - stopping the incessant blather, and listening. Fear keeps us chattering - fear that wells up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-woodman/healing-depends-on-listening-with-the-inner-ear-stopping-the/)

[Marion Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-woodman/)

> [Fear keeps us rooted in the past. Fear of the unknown, fear of abandonment, fear of rejection, fear of not having enough, fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/fear-keeps-us-rooted-in-the-past-fear-of-the-unknown-fear-of/)

[Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/)

> [Don't regret the past or fear the future. Both bring misery through self-doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/don-t-regret-the-past-or-fear-the-future-both-bring-misery-through/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Laughter allows us to get past the fear of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/laughter-allows-us-to-get-past-the-fear-of-death/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [“I want to remember my past To see before my eyes The image of my parents The house in which I grew up The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/itta-benhaiem-keller/i-want-to-remember-my-past-to-see-before-my-eyes-the-image-of-my/)

Itta Benhaiem-Keller

> [“Living in present without regrets in the past and fear in the future...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigitte-karey/living-in-present-without-regrets-in-the-past-and-fear-in-the-future/)

Brigitte Karey

> [Never let the sadness of your past n the fear of future ruin the happiness of your present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/never-let-the-sadness-of-your-past-n-the-fear-of-future-ruin-the/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [I think when you move past your fear and you go after your dreams wholeheartedly, you become free. Know what Im saying? Move past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ll-cool-j/i-think-when-you-move-past-your-fear-and-you-go-after-your-dreams-2/)

[LL Cool J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ll-cool-j/)

> [I think when you move past your fear and you go after your dreams wholeheartedly, you become free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ll-cool-j/i-think-when-you-move-past-your-fear-and-you-go-after-your-dreams/)

[LL Cool J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ll-cool-j/)

> [To move past fear is a cliche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/to-move-past-fear-is-a-cliche/)

[Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/)

## More by Fulton Oursler

> [In making our decisions, we must use the brains that God has given us. But we must also use our hearts, which He also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/in-making-our-decisions-we-must-use-the-brains-that-god-has-given-us/)

[Fulton Oursler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/)

> [In this one book are the two most interesting personalities in the whole world - God and yourself. The Bible is the story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/in-this-one-book-are-the-two-most-interesting-personalities-in-the/)

[Fulton Oursler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/)

> [Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves. Regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two-thieves-regret-for-yesterday/)

[Fulton Oursler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/)

> [Faith is a gift-but you can ask for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/faith-is-a-gift-but-you-can-ask-for-it/)

[Fulton Oursler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/)

> [We crucify ourselves between two thieves: regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/we-crucify-ourselves-between-two-thieves-regret-for-yesterday-and/)

[Fulton Oursler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/)

> [We do not hug our miracles close. We put them hastily away, preferring the commonplace to live with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/we-do-not-hug-our-miracles-close-we-put-them-hastily-away-preferring/)

[Fulton Oursler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/)

[Explore all 7 Fulton Oursler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/)

## More Acceptance quotes

> [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/)

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

> [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/)

[Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/)

> [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/)

[Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/)

> [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/)

[Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/)

> [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

> [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/)

[Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/)

> [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/)

[Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/)

> [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/)

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

> [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/)

[Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/)

> [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/)

[Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/)

> [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/)

[Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/)

> [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/)

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

[Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Fulton Oursler"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two-thieves-regret-for-the-past/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Acceptance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two-thieves-regret-for-the-past/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/fulton-oursler-51546_acceptance_many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two_2928591.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/fulton-oursler-51546_acceptance_many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two_2928591.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/fulton-oursler-51546_acceptance_many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two_2928591.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.” — Fulton Oursler",
                "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": "Fulton Oursler",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Many of us crucify ourselves between...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two-thieves-regret-for-the-past/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/many-of-us-crucify-ourselves-between-two-thieves-regret-for-the-past/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
