Fear Quote by Gustave Flaubert
““He racked his brains for a way of making his declaration. Torn all the while between fear of offending and shame at his own faint-heartedness, he wept tears of dejection and desire. Then he made forceful resolutions. He wrote letters, and tore them up; he gave himself a time limit, then extended it. Often he started out with a determination to dare all; but his decisiveness quickly deserted him in Emma's presence [...] Emma, for her part, never questioned herself to find out whether she was in love with him. Love, she believed, must come suddenly, with thunder and lightning, a hurricane from on high that swoops down into your life and turns it topsy-turvy, snatches away your will-power like a leaf, hurls your heart and soul into the abyss. She did not know how on the terrace of a house the rain collects in pools when the gutters are choked; and she would have continued to feel quite safe had she not suddenly discovered a crack in the wall.””
About This Quote
A lover wrestles with self‑doubt, fear of rejection, and the idealized notion of love as a sudden, overwhelming force, while the beloved remains uncertain of her own feelings.
In simple terms: He overthinks love; she doubts love’s sudden nature.
Key Takeaway
Romantic anxiety and mythic expectations clash.
Themes
love
self‑doubt
expectation
psychology
Mood
melancholic
intense
Type
narrative
reflection
When to use this quote
- first dates
- courtship
- creative writing
Key Concepts
idealization
indecision
Practical Applications
- practice honest communication
- challenge romantic myths
Questions to Reflect On
- What role does fear play in expressing affection?
- How does mythic love shape real relationships?
A Different Perspective
Over‑analysis can stall genuine connection.
![“At the top of the page I wrote my full name [...] At the sight of it, many thoughts rushed through me, but I could write down only this: "I wish I could love someone so much that I would die from it." And then as I looked at this sentence a great deal of shame came over me and I wept and wept so…” quote by Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/002/jamaica-kincaid-1540_death_at-the-top-of-the-page-i-wrote-my-full-n_1629574.jpg)
