--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing is so much to be feared as fear." description: "\"Nothing is so much to be feared as fear.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/henry-david-thoreau-20_fear_nothing-is-so-much-to-be-feared-as-fear_1222587.jpg" --- # Nothing is so much to be feared as fear. ![“Nothing is so much to be feared as fear.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/henry-david-thoreau-20_fear_nothing-is-so-much-to-be-feared-as-fear_1222587.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/henry-david-thoreau-20_fear_nothing-is-so-much-to-be-feared-as-fear_1222587.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/henry-david-thoreau-20_fear_nothing-is-so-much-to-be-feared-as-fear_1222587.jpg) > “Nothing is so much to be feared as fear.” [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. Fear itself is the greatest thing to dread, more than any external threat. **In simple terms:** Fear is the worst thing to fear. Key Takeaway Confront and understand your fears. Themes philosophy psychology existentialism Mood introspective motivational Type philosophical self-help When to use this quote - personal growth - mental health - risk taking - creative endeavors Key Concepts anxiety self-awareness courage Questions to Reflect On - What fears are holding you back? - How can fear be transformed into motivation? A Different Perspective Fear can be a useful warning signal, not just a hindrance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Feared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feared/) [Feared Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feared-fear-772904/) [Mental health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-health/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Nothing is so much to be feared as fear. Atheism may comparatively be popular with God himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/nothing-is-so-much-to-be-feared-as-fear-atheism-may-comparatively-be/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“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. 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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/) ## 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. 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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 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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