--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My chief task has been to conquer fear…" description: "\"My chief task has been to conquer fear. The public sees only the thrill of the accomplished trick; they have no conception of the tortuous preliminary ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/harry-houdini-12485_accomplished_my-chief-task-has-been-to-conquer-fear-t_942684.jpg" --- # My chief task has been to conquer fear. The public sees… ![“My chief task has been to conquer fear. The public sees only the thrill of the accomplished trick; they have no conception of the tortuous preliminary self-training that was necessary to conquer fear.” quote by Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/harry-houdini-12485_accomplished_my-chief-task-has-been-to-conquer-fear-t_942684.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/harry-houdini-12485_accomplished_my-chief-task-has-been-to-conquer-fear-t_942684.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/harry-houdini-12485_accomplished_my-chief-task-has-been-to-conquer-fear-t_942684.jpg) > “My chief task has been to conquer fear. The public sees only the thrill of the accomplished trick; they have no conception of the tortuous preliminary self-training that was necessary to conquer fear.” [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear is conquered through intense, private preparation, unseen by the audience. **In simple terms:** He trains hard behind the scenes to beat fear. Key Takeaway Invest in unseen preparation for success. Themes fear training performance Mood determined inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - stage acts - personal development - public speaking Key Concepts psychology of courage skill mastery Questions to Reflect On - What hidden preparations do you have for your goals? - How does private effort shape public confidence? A Different Perspective May downplay the value of natural talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accomplished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplished/) [Chiefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chiefs/) [Conception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conception/) [Conquer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquer/) [Conquer Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquer-fear-308398/) [Conquering fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquering-fear/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-public-602509/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tasks/) [Thrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrill/) [Thrill Accomplished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrill-accomplished-1622548/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) [Tricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tricks/) ## Related quotes > [To allow the fear to come on you and then pass through. 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No magic potion will take it away. And you can't wait for motivation to get you going. To conquer fear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/you-can-t-avoid-fear-no-magic-potion-will-take-it-away-and-you-can-t/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [I've always had to conquer fear when I'm on stage. Basically, I was and still am a very shy person. It's absolutely in conflict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-ve-always-had-to-conquer-fear-when-i-m-on-stage-basically-i-was-and/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [My procrastination which has held me back was born of fear ... now I know that to conquer fear I must always act without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/my-procrastination-which-has-held-me-back-was-born-of-fear-now-i-know/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [So the Marine Corps really did teach me to conquer fear, and then to go for higher causes, higher purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/so-the-marine-corps-really-did-teach-me-to-conquer-fear-and-then-to/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Conquer fear..make a decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reshad-feild/conquer-fear-make-a-decision/) [Reshad Feild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reshad-feild/) > [To conquer fear, you must become fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri/to-conquer-fear-you-must-become-fear/) [Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri/) > [Get into "the state:" Conquer fear by stopping thinking about yourself and instead, focusing 100 percent on how you can best serve your audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/get-into-the-state-conquer-fear-by-stopping-thinking-about-yourself/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-believe-that-anyone-can-conquer-fear-by-doing-the-things-he-fears-2/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I used to fear public speaking. My voice would shake, I used to forget to breathe. Now it's pretty easy for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-stone/i-used-to-fear-public-speaking-my-voice-would-shake-i-used-to-forget/) [Spencer Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-stone/) > [According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/according-to-most-studies-people-s-number-one-fear-is-public-speaking/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [I was extremely shy and had a terrible fear of public speaking. But I had fallen in love with stand-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-was-extremely-shy-and-had-a-terrible-fear-of-public-speaking-but-i/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) ## More by Harry Houdini > [Look at this life - all mystery and magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/look-at-this-life-all-mystery-and-magic/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Magic is the sole science not accepted by scientists, because they can't understand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/magic-is-the-sole-science-not-accepted-by-scientists-because-they-can/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Flames from the lips may be produced by holding in the mouth a sponge saturated with the purest gasoline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/flames-from-the-lips-may-be-produced-by-holding-in-the-mouth-a-sponge/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Another method of eating burning coals employs small balls of burned cotton in a dish of burning alcohol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/another-method-of-eating-burning-coals-employs-small-balls-of-burned/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [I am not an irretrievable skeptic. 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Whatever I set out to do I found I had already accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-never-believed-in-trying-to-do-anything-whatever-i-set-out-to-do-i/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [... even the most sublimely accomplished non-stop talker can't consistently please.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/even-the-most-sublimely-accomplished-non-stop-talker-can-t/) [J. D. 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In times when we thought ourselves indolent, we have afterwards discovered that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/we-do-not-know-today-whether-we-are-busy-or-idle-in-times-when-we/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I don't know Beyoncé, but I have the impression that she's sincere, that she really is a feminist and wanted to put the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-don-t-know-beyonc-but-i-have-the-impression-that-she-s-sincere-that/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labour is immense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-gain-in-self-confidence-of-having-accomplished-a-tiresome-labour/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [With Epcot Center, the Disney corporation has accomplished something I didn't think possible in today's world. 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