--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the beginning we feared…" description: "\"“In the beginning we feared everything—animals, the weather, the trees, the night sky—everything except each other. Now we fear each other, and almost ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/gregory-david-roberts-1039_fear_in-the-beginning-we-feared-everything-an_2956735.png" --- # In the beginning we feared everything—animals, the… ![“In the beginning we feared everything—animals, the weather, the trees, the night sky—everything except each other. Now we fear each other, and almost nothing else. No-one knows why anyone does anything. No-one tells the truth. No-one is happy. No-one is safe. In the face of all that is so wrong…” quote by Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/gregory-david-roberts-1039_fear_in-the-beginning-we-feared-everything-an_2956735.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/gregory-david-roberts-1039_fear_in-the-beginning-we-feared-everything-an_2956735.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/gregory-david-roberts-1039_fear_in-the-beginning-we-feared-everything-an_2956735.png) > ““In the beginning we feared everything—animals, the weather, the trees, the night sky—everything except each other. Now we fear each other, and almost nothing else. No-one knows why anyone does anything. No-one tells the truth. No-one is happy. No-one is safe. In the face of all that is so wrong with the world, the very worst thing you can do is survive. And yet you must survive. It is this dilemma that makes us believe and cling to the lie that we have a soul, and that there is a God who cares about its fate. And now you have it.’ He”” [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human fear shifted from external threats to interpersonal distrust, leading to existential emptiness. **In simple terms:** We fear each other more than nature. Key Takeaway Cultivate trust, seek authentic connections. Themes fear trust existential society Mood somber thoughtful Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - relationships - community building - mental health work Key Concepts Psychology Philosophy Social critique Questions to Reflect On - What fears dominate your life? - How can you foster genuine trust? A Different Perspective Trust is hard to rebuild after betrayal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning Feared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning-feared-4482644/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Feared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feared/) [Sky Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky-fear-3542239/) [Survive Dilemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survive-dilemma-4067432/) [Worst thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-thing/) ## Related quotes > [In the face of all that is so wrong with the world, the very worst thing you can do is survive. And yet you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/in-the-face-of-all-that-is-so-wrong-with-the-world-the-very-worst/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [Those who desire to touch the sky, never fear falling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/those-who-desire-to-touch-the-sky-never-fear-falling/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [“Birds fly in the sky without the fear of fall. We too must have the COURAGE to take Risks and grow tall.-RVM”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/birds-fly-in-the-sky-without-the-fear-of-fall-we-too-must-have-the/) [RVM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rvm/) > [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [Like everyone in his right mind, I feared Santa Claus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/like-everyone-in-his-right-mind-i-feared-santa-claus/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“Here was a thing he feared: that this strange feeling in his heart-this palpably growing emptiness- would eventually kill him”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/here-was-a-thing-he-feared-that-this-strange-feeling-in-his-heart/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [Nothing is to be feared, only to be understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-swarbrick/nothing-is-to-be-feared-only-to-be-understood/) [Kenneth Swarbrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-swarbrick/) > [He loved the people just as much as he feared and detested persons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/he-loved-the-people-just-as-much-as-he-feared-and-detested-persons/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“What all men fear is indeed to be feared;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/what-all-men-fear-is-indeed-to-be-feared/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [Machiavelli taught me it was better to be feared than loved. Because if you are loved they sense you might be weak. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-king/machiavelli-taught-me-it-was-better-to-be-feared-than-loved-because/) [Don King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-king/) > [“For it is not death or pain that is to be feared, but the fear of pain or death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/for-it-is-not-death-or-pain-that-is-to-be-feared-but-the-fear-of-pain/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“The thing I feared the most was the network of unexplored crevices in my dark mind . . . because perhaps, there was no such thing as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-c-reden/the-thing-i-feared-the-most-was-the-network-of-unexplored-crevices-in/) [Laura C. Reden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-c-reden/) > [I have never feared of being typecast as I tried to do different roles on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiku-sharda/i-have-never-feared-of-being-typecast-as-i-tried-to-do-different/) [Kiku Sharda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiku-sharda/) > [“In that instant, Gogolov feared death. He could feel himself falling through the dark void of space. He was flailing and terrified and utterly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-c-rosenberg-2/in-that-instant-gogolov-feared-death-he-could-feel-himself-falling/) [Joel C Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-c-rosenberg-2/) > [“He feared that by leaving her he would ruin her life - so he stayed, and did just that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/he-feared-that-by-leaving-her-he-would-ruin-her-life-so-he-stayed-and/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) ## More by Gregory David Roberts > [The simple and astonishing truth about India and Indian people is that when you go there, and deal with them, your heart always guides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/the-simple-and-astonishing-truth-about-india-and-indian-people-is/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [I think the novel form chose me. I was a writer before I became a criminal... my first instinct was to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/i-think-the-novel-form-chose-me-i-was-a-writer-before-i-became-a/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [I look back, now, and I know that the naming moment, which seemed so insignificant then, which seemed to demand no more than an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/i-look-back-now-and-i-know-that-the-naming-moment-which-seemed-so/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [“Men are just men - it is what they do, or refuse to do, that links them to good and evil. The truth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/men-are-just-men-it-is-what-they-do-or-refuse-to-do-that-links-them/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [Indians are the Italians of Asia and vice versa. 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Sometimes we cry with everything except tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/sometimes-we-love-with-nothing-more-than-hope-sometimes-we-cry-with/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [Love is the passionate search for a truth other than your own; and once you feel it, honestly and completely, love is forever..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/love-is-the-passionate-search-for-a-truth-other-than-your-own-and/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [“I know now that it's the sweet, sweating smell of hope, which is opposite of hate; and it's the sour, stifled smell of greed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/i-know-now-that-it-s-the-sweet-sweating-smell-of-hope-which-is/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [I don't know what frightens me more](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/i-don-t-know-what-frightens-me-more/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [“I hesitated. Karla once said that men reveal what they think when they look away, and what they feel when they hesitate. With women,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/i-hesitated-karla-once-said-that-men-reveal-what-they-think-when-they/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [you can't kill love. you can't even kill it with hate. you can kill in-love, and loving, and even loveliness. you can kill them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/you-can-t-kill-love-you-can-t-even-kill-it-with-hate-you-can-kill-in/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [Some loves are like that. Your heart starts to feel like an overcrowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat, &…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/some-loves-are-like-that-your-heart-starts-to-feel-like-an/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [I sometimes think that the size of our happiness is inversely proportional to the size of our house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/i-sometimes-think-that-the-size-of-our-happiness-is-inversely/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) [Explore all 276 Gregory David Roberts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. 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