--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think Americans are terrified of…" description: "\"I think Americans are terrified of feeling anything. I never met a people more infantile in my life.\" — James A. Baldwin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/james-a-baldwin-2080_americans_i-think-americans-are-terrified-of-feeli_224979.jpg" --- # I think Americans are terrified of feeling anything. I… ![“I think Americans are terrified of feeling anything. I never met a people more infantile in my life.” quote by James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/james-a-baldwin-2080_americans_i-think-americans-are-terrified-of-feeli_224979.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/james-a-baldwin-2080_americans_i-think-americans-are-terrified-of-feeli_224979.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/james-a-baldwin-2080_americans_i-think-americans-are-terrified-of-feeli_224979.jpg) > “I think Americans are terrified of feeling anything. I never met a people more infantile in my life.” [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Baldwin suggests Americans avoid deep emotions, leading to childish behavior. **In simple terms:** Americans fear feeling, act immaturely. Key Takeaway Allow yourself emotional honesty. Themes emotions immaturity culture Mood critical reflective Type observational social commentary When to use this quote - personal relationships - political discourse - mental health - self-awareness Key Concepts psychology social critique Questions to Reflect On - How does emotional avoidance affect society? - Can vulnerability improve maturity? A Different Perspective Not all Americans are emotionally repressed; cultural nuance exists. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Terrified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrified/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Americans are terrified because so many of them have been laid off in recent years and months and they fear that they may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/americans-are-terrified-because-so-many-of-them-have-been-laid-off-in/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [“Because I’m fucking terrified of feeling something for you, okay?” I screamed back at her, and my whole body went cold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-savage/because-i-m-fucking-terrified-of-feeling-something-for-you-okay-i/) [Shay Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-savage/) > [“I’m feeling kind of terrified … But at least I’m feeling something. You make me feel something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roni-loren/i-m-feeling-kind-of-terrified-but-at-least-i-m-feeling-something-you/) [Roni Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roni-loren/) > [I think Americans are probably getting sick of us Australians trying to take their jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-tonkin/i-think-americans-are-probably-getting-sick-of-us-australians-trying/) [Phoebe Tonkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-tonkin/) > [I don't think that Americans are ungrateful, not at all. But I do think that we are a young country, and we have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-hart/i-don-t-think-that-americans-are-ungrateful-not-at-all-but-i-do-think/) [Beth Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-hart/) > [I think Americans suffer for their lack of travel, awareness of the world. It has horribly warped our sense of place in the scheme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-think-americans-suffer-for-their-lack-of-travel-awareness-of-the/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I think Americans love success - but hate the people who have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-winsor/i-think-americans-love-success-but-hate-the-people-who-have-it/) [Kathleen Winsor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-winsor/) > [I think Americans are good, but America will be taken over and destroyed from the inside by the Zionist lobby. The Americans do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muammar-al-gaddafi/i-think-americans-are-good-but-america-will-be-taken-over-and/) [Muammar al-Gaddafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muammar-al-gaddafi/) > [And I think Americans are phenomenal people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-miller/and-i-think-americans-are-phenomenal-people/) [Joe Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-miller/) > [Europeans think Americans are fat, vulgar, greedy, stupid, ambitious and ignorant and so on. And they've taken as their own, as their representative American,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/europeans-think-americans-are-fat-vulgar-greedy-stupid-ambitious-and/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I think Americans, as a nation and culture, once something is recognized for a week or two, people kind of forget about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-burroughs/i-think-americans-as-a-nation-and-culture-once-something-is/) [Jordan Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-burroughs/) > [I think Americans have always been pretty outspoken. I always found that if you had emotions in England, it's like, 'Here's a cup of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanna-arquette/i-think-americans-have-always-been-pretty-outspoken-i-always-found/) [Rosanna Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanna-arquette/) > [ I think we all \[americans\] think we're a special country. But the question is, what - what call does that give us? ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-matthews/i-think-we-all-americans-think-we-re-a-special-country-but-the/) [Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-matthews/) > [I think Americans are at our best when we recover from a crisis. We've suffered some blows that other countries would have never recovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-brooks/i-think-americans-are-at-our-best-when-we-recover-from-a-crisis-we-ve/) [Max Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-brooks/) > [I think Americans did learn that you just are not going to be able to live well if you subordinate people on the grounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/i-think-americans-did-learn-that-you-just-are-not-going-to-be-able-to/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) ## More by James A. Baldwin > [One cannot deny the humanity of another without diminishing one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/one-cannot-deny-the-humanity-of-another-without-diminishing-one-s-own/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/all-i-know-about-music-is-that-not-many-people-ever-really-hear-it/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [I've always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/i-ve-always-believed-that-you-can-think-positive-just-as-well-as-you/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the Cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-white-man-discovered-the-cross-by-way-of-the-bible-but-the-black/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The American ideal of sexuality appears to be rooted in the American ideal of masculinity. This idea has created cowboys and Indians, good guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-of-sexuality-appears-to-be-rooted-in-the-american/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Voyagers discover that the world can never be larger than the person that is in the world; but it is impossible to foresee this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/voyagers-discover-that-the-world-can-never-be-larger-than-the-person/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [We take our shape, it is true, within and against that cage of reality bequeathed us at our birth; and yet it is precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/we-take-our-shape-it-is-true-within-and-against-that-cage-of-reality/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The American ideal is, after all, that everyone should be as much alike as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-is-after-all-that-everyone-should-be-as-much-alike/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [James Joyce is right about history being a nightmare-- but it may be that nightmare from which no one can awaken. People are trapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/james-joyce-is-right-about-history-being-a-nightmare-but-it-may-be/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Unless a writer is extremely old when he dies, in which case he has probably become a neglected institution, his death must always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/unless-a-writer-is-extremely-old-when-he-dies-in-which-case-he-has/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [An identity is questioned only when it is menaced, as when the mighty begin to fall, or when the wretched begin to rise, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/an-identity-is-questioned-only-when-it-is-menaced-as-when-the-mighty/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [White people will have quite enough to do in learning how to accept and love themselves and each other, and when they have achieved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/white-people-will-have-quite-enough-to-do-in-learning-how-to-accept/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [A devotion to humanity is... too easily equated with a devotion to a Cause, and Causes, as we know, are notoriously bloodthirsty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/a-devotion-to-humanity-is-too-easily-equated-with-a-devotion-to-a/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Most people... find a disorientating mismatch between the long-term nature of their liabilities and the increasingly short-term nature of their assets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/most-people-find-a-disorientating-mismatch-between-the-long-term/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [One can only face in others what one can face in oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/one-can-only-face-in-others-what-one-can-face-in-oneself/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) [Explore all 187 James A. Baldwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) ## More Americans quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) Paul William Roberts > [Music has an intrinsic value that touches Americans - they love their music, and want more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-rosen/music-has-an-intrinsic-value-that-touches-americans-they-love-their/) [Hilary Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-rosen/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/) [Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/) > [When Americans, who have no idea who I am, laugh at my jokes, it's exactly the same if someone loves you even if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-elmaleh/when-americans-who-have-no-idea-who-i-am-laugh-at-my-jokes-it-s/) [Gad Elmaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We Americans tend to be a prodigal lot. We are as careless with our personal resources as we are with the resources of nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crook-de-camp/we-americans-tend-to-be-a-prodigal-lot-we-are-as-careless-with-our/) [Catherine Crook de Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crook-de-camp/) > [Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/americans-will-put-up-with-anything-provided-it-doesn-t-block-traffic/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. 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You love this country. Together we are entrusted with the principles that represent mankind's greatest political and social achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsongas/you-are-americans-you-love-this-country-together-we-are-entrusted/) [Paul Tsongas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsongas/) [Browse all 1,536 Americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think Americans are terrified of feeling anything. I never met a people more infantile in my life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James A. 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