--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What could I become if I stopped worrying…" description: "\"“What could I become if I stopped worrying about death, about pain, about anything? If I stopped trying to belong?”\" — Holly Black" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1b/holly-black-329_death_what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worryin_1745368.png" --- # What could I become if I stopped worrying about death… ![“What could I become if I stopped worrying about death, about pain, about anything? If I stopped trying to belong?” quote by Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1b/holly-black-329_death_what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worryin_1745368.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1b/holly-black-329_death_what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worryin_1745368.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1b/holly-black-329_death_what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worryin_1745368.png) > ““What could I become if I stopped worrying about death, about pain, about anything? If I stopped trying to belong?”” [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freeing oneself from fear, pain, and the need to belong opens endless possibilities. **In simple terms:** Let go of fear and belonging. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty. Themes self‑discovery freedom identity Mood hopeful introspective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career change - creative pursuits - mental health Key Concepts existential risk personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What would you try if fear vanished? - How does belonging shape you? A Different Perspective Fear can still be paralyzing without support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Worrying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worrying/) ## Related quotes > [You can either waste time worrying about a death that might not come or concentrate on what’s left to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/you-can-either-waste-time-worrying-about-a-death-that-might-not-come/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“What could I become if I stopped worrying about death, about pain, about anything? If I stopped trying to belong? Instead of being afraid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worrying-about-death-about-pain-2/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [I would never be part of anything. I would never really belong anywhere, and I knew it, and all my life would be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/i-would-never-be-part-of-anything-i-would-never-really-belong/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [“Don't neglect life by worrying about Death. - I don't know what is the meaning of death, but I am not afraid to die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/don-t-neglect-life-by-worrying-about-death-i-don-t-know-what-is-the/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [“I promise you Pagan that not one of those things is a match for me. So stop worrying. I’m Death, baby. Remember that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-glines/i-promise-you-pagan-that-not-one-of-those-things-is-a-match-for-me-so/) Abby Glines > [Stop worrying about your death because you never know when you will take your last breathe and if you will die tomorrow then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubhanshu-tiwari/stop-worrying-about-your-death-because-you-never-know-when-you-will/) [Shubhanshu Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubhanshu-tiwari/) > [I stopped worrying about being desired a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-craig/i-stopped-worrying-about-being-desired-a-long-time-ago/) [Daniel Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-craig/) > [I stopped worrying about people; I started thinking that I would be answerable only to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherlyn-chopra/i-stopped-worrying-about-people-i-started-thinking-that-i-would-be/) [Sherlyn Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherlyn-chopra/) > [I've long stopped worrying about who invented whom - God man or man God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/i-ve-long-stopped-worrying-about-who-invented-whom-god-man-or-man-god/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [The day I stopped worrying about stats is the day I started winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/the-day-i-stopped-worrying-about-stats-is-the-day-i-started-winning/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [“RVM's Thought for the Day - " I used to worry about my Fears , but I realized that most of the time nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/rvm-s-thought-for-the-day-i-used-to-worry-about-my-fears-but-i/) RVM > [I stopped worrying about competition in contemporary art. It feels a little bit more pure. That's where I am, one step back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-murakami/i-stopped-worrying-about-competition-in-contemporary-art-it-feels-a/) [Takashi Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-murakami/) > [Stopped worrying about things you can't control and take effective action on those things you can change keep in mind that No matter who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jsv/stopped-worrying-about-things-you-can-t-control-and-take-effective/) [JSV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jsv/) > [“again. He had crashed through the barrier. He had stopped worrying and started relaxing. He was up on that plateau where you just did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/again-he-had-crashed-through-the-barrier-he-had-stopped-worrying-and/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Ever since I stopped worrying about finances, I've made more money than I ever thought I'd make in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/ever-since-i-stopped-worrying-about-finances-i-ve-made-more-money/) [Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/) ## More by Holly Black > [“What they don’t realize is this: Yes, they frighten me, but I have always been scared, since the day I got here. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/what-they-don-t-realize-is-this-yes-they-frighten-me-but-i-have/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [When you don't know what you're searching for, you have to look absolutely everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/when-you-don-t-know-what-you-re-searching-for-you-have-to-look/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“Madoc makes a snorting sound, then turns to me. 'I am sure that Wren here wouldn't mind taking Lady Nore's castle and lands for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/madoc-makes-a-snorting-sound-then-turns-to-me-i-am-sure-that-wren/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [That’s family for you. Can’t live with them, can’t murder them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/that-s-family-for-you-can-t-live-with-them-can-t-murder-them/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“No, I won't help you. No I won't hear you explain why I should. It really is a magical word: no. You say whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/no-i-won-t-help-you-no-i-won-t-hear-you-explain-why-i-should-it/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [Let her alone,' said the enkanto, 'or I will curse you blind, lame, and worse.' The old man laughed. 'I'm a curse breaker, fool.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/let-her-alone-said-the-enkanto-or-i-will-curse-you-blind-lame-and/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“lt's an honor and a delight to meet you and a tragedy you're here”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/lt-s-an-honor-and-a-delight-to-meet-you-and-a-tragedy-you-re-here/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“No fire at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/no-fire-at-all/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“His wax-white skin was cool to the touch when she brushed his neck to find the knot of cloth. She'd never been this close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/his-wax-white-skin-was-cool-to-the-touch-when-she-brushed-his-neck-to/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [So what are you really wearing?" The words left her mouth before she could consider them. She winced. He didn't seem to mind; in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/so-what-are-you-really-wearing-the-words-left-her-mouth-before-she/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“I grab a chair. "I don't mean to pry," I say, "but we're in a hospital. You sure you're fine?" She sighs heavily. "No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/i-grab-a-chair-i-don-t-mean-to-pry-i-say-but-we-re-in-a-hospital-you/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [Kaye: You know what the sun looks like? Janet: No, What? Kaye: Like he slit his wrists in a bathtub and the blood is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/kaye-you-know-what-the-sun-looks-like-janet-no-what-kaye-like-he-slit/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“That was how she felt, right then. As if there was too much of her, as if her skin was tight with muchness. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/that-was-how-she-felt-right-then-as-if-there-was-too-much-of-her-as/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“It was a vow, a piece of a chant, their scripture, something they took so seriously that saying it aloud embarrassed them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/it-was-a-vow-a-piece-of-a-chant-their-scripture-something-they-took/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“Some broken things stay broken”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/some-broken-things-stay-broken/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) [Explore all 666 Holly Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What could I become if I stopped worrying about death, about pain, about anything? If I stopped trying to belong?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Holly Black" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worrying-about-death-about-pain/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worrying-about-death-about-pain/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1b/holly-black-329_death_what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worryin_1745368.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1b/holly-black-329_death_what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worryin_1745368.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1b/holly-black-329_death_what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worryin_1745368.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What could I become if I stopped worrying about death, about pain, about anything? If I stopped trying to…” — Holly Black", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Holly Black", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What could I become if I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worrying-about-death-about-pain/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/what-could-i-become-if-i-stopped-worrying-about-death-about-pain/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```