--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing is so much to be feared as fear…" description: "\"Nothing is so much to be feared as fear. Atheism may comparatively be popular with God himself.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/henry-david-thoreau-20_atheism_nothing-is-so-much-to-be-feared-as-fear_624651.jpg" --- # Nothing is so much to be feared as fear. Atheism may… ![“Nothing is so much to be feared as fear. Atheism may comparatively be popular with God himself.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/henry-david-thoreau-20_atheism_nothing-is-so-much-to-be-feared-as-fear_624651.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/henry-david-thoreau-20_atheism_nothing-is-so-much-to-be-feared-as-fear_624651.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/henry-david-thoreau-20_atheism_nothing-is-so-much-to-be-feared-as-fear_624651.jpg) > “Nothing is so much to be feared as fear. Atheism may comparatively be popular with God himself.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Claims fear is the greatest threat, and that atheism may be favored by a deity. **In simple terms:** Fear dominates; even God may prefer non‑belief. Key Takeaway Confront fear and question assumptions. Themes fear belief philosophy Mood introspective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - public speaking - ethical debates - personal reflection Key Concepts existentialism religion courage Questions to Reflect On - What fears limit personal growth? - How does belief shape moral choices? A Different Perspective Potentially dismisses rational fear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Atheism Comparatively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism-comparatively-5047679/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-atheism-5047678/) [Feared Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feared-fear-772904/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing is so much to be feared as fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/nothing-is-so-much-to-be-feared-as-fear/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [there is nothing to fear but fear itself yet even then fear shouldn't be feared because fear cannot take what is protected by change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-moran/there-is-nothing-to-fear-but-fear-itself-yet-even-then-fear-shouldn-t/) [Michelle Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-moran/) > [To be feared is to fear. No one has been able to strike terror into others and at the same time enjoy peace of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/to-be-feared-is-to-fear-no-one-has-been-able-to-strike-terror-into/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Nothing is to be feared but fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/nothing-is-to-be-feared-but-fear/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Those who love to be feared fear to be loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/those-who-love-to-be-feared-fear-to-be-loved/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [“I feared fear and fear had won.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-theia/i-feared-fear-and-fear-had-won/) [V. Theia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-theia/) > [Nothing is to be feared but fear itself. Nothing grievous but to yield to grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/nothing-is-to-be-feared-but-fear-itself-nothing-grievous-but-to-yield/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [“As for us, we behave like a herd of deer. When they flee from the huntsman's feathers in affright, which way do they turn?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/as-for-us-we-behave-like-a-herd-of-deer-when-they-flee-from-the/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [The only honorable, desirable kind of fear that shouldn't be feared is the fear of harm on a loved one. It's the kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-honorable-desirable-kind-of-fear-that-shouldn-t-be-feared-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Courage is... the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/courage-is-the-knowledge-of-how-to-fear-what-ought-to-be-feared-and/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Those who love to be feared, fear to be loved. Some fear them, but they fear everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-camus/those-who-love-to-be-feared-fear-to-be-loved-some-fear-them-but-they/) [Jean-Pierre Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-pierre-camus/) > [Those who love to be feared fear to be loved, and they themselves are more afraid than anyone, for whereas other men fear only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/those-who-love-to-be-feared-fear-to-be-loved-and-they-themselves-are/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [“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/) > [We are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-are-enabled-to-apprehend-at-all-what-is-sublime-and-noble-only-by/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Atheism quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/no-philosophy-no-religion-has-ever-brought-so-glad-a-message-to-the/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [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/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [God speaks through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/god-speaks-through-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [You cannot ... transmute some incoherent mixture of words into sense merely by introducing the three-letter word "God" to be its grammatical subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-flew/you-cannot-transmute-some-incoherent-mixture-of-words-into-sense/) [Antony Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-flew/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Do you think that was kind? 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