--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always had this little terror, this…" description: "\"“I always had this little terror, this feeling that the whole world was asleep, that around this whole, huge planet, I was the only ne left awake in th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/james-patterson-171_whole-world_i-always-had-this-little-terror-this-fee_2317037.png" --- # I always had this little terror, this feeling that the… ![“I always had this little terror, this feeling that the whole world was asleep, that around this whole, huge planet, I was the only ne left awake in the world.” quote by James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/james-patterson-171_whole-world_i-always-had-this-little-terror-this-fee_2317037.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/james-patterson-171_whole-world_i-always-had-this-little-terror-this-fee_2317037.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/james-patterson-171_whole-world_i-always-had-this-little-terror-this-fee_2317037.png) > ““I always had this little terror, this feeling that the whole world was asleep, that around this whole, huge planet, I was the only ne left awake in the world.”” [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator feels isolated, believing they are the only aware person in a sleeping world. **In simple terms:** Feeling alone in awareness. Key Takeaway Find connection with like‑minded others. Themes existential loneliness awareness Mood melancholic thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - night shifts - creative work - philosophical reflection Key Concepts consciousness alienation Questions to Reflect On - How do you seek community? - What grounds keep you present? A Different Perspective Isolation may be self‑imposed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) ## Related quotes > [And why should it not be terrifying? A little terror, in my view, is good for the soul, when it is terror in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/and-why-should-it-not-be-terrifying-a-little-terror-in-my-view-is/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [From the age of about five to twelve I was very bad, a hideous little terror who beat people up. I was a member…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/from-the-age-of-about-five-to-twelve-i-was-very-bad-a-hideous-little/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [The anger. The terror. The feeling of entrapment. the profound distrust of people.The wistful, plaintive conviction that a window, a thing, was more important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flora-rheta-schreiber/the-anger-the-terror-the-feeling-of-entrapment-the-profound-distrust/) [Flora Rheta Schreiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flora-rheta-schreiber/) > [“Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. No feeling is final.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/let-everything-happen-to-you-beauty-and-terror-no-feeling-is-final/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [“...library terror - that feeling of being hopelessly overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of available books...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-barfield/library-terror-that-feeling-of-being-hopelessly-overwhelmed-by-the/) [Owen Barfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-barfield/) > [“Pity is the feeling which arrests the mind in the presence of whatsoever is grave and constant in human sufferings and unites it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/pity-is-the-feeling-which-arrests-the-mind-in-the-presence-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“To think blankness rouses certain terror and in the feeling the sudden sense of self responding down to the smallest unaided particle of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-honig/to-think-blankness-rouses-certain-terror-and-in-the-feeling-the/) Edwin Honig > [Sleeping in your lovers arm is the best feeling in this whole world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keren-zhims/sleeping-in-your-lovers-arm-is-the-best-feeling-in-this-whole-world/) [Keren Zhims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keren-zhims/) > [I'm a nocturnal creature, so my experiential canvas comes to life when the rest of the world is asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quincy-brown/i-m-a-nocturnal-creature-so-my-experiential-canvas-comes-to-life-when/) [Quincy Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quincy-brown/) > [“But there is something very strange and terrible in being awake when all the rest of the world is asleep. You are alone then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/but-there-is-something-very-strange-and-terrible-in-being-awake-when/) [L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/) > [All men whilst they are awake are in one common world: but each of them, when he is asleep, is in a world of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/all-men-whilst-they-are-awake-are-in-one-common-world-but-each-of/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [“I love my family, but sometimes, in the middle of the night when the rest of the world is asleep, there is a silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-teague/i-love-my-family-but-sometimes-in-the-middle-of-the-night-when-the/) Paul Teague > [“WHILE THE WORLD'S ASLEEP, ANGELS REFUSE TO SLEEP!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/widad-akrawi/while-the-world-s-asleep-angels-refuse-to-sleep/) [Widad Akrawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/widad-akrawi/) > [Those who are awake all live in the same world. Those who are asleep live in their own worlds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heraclitus/those-who-are-awake-all-live-in-the-same-world-those-who-are-asleep/) [Heraclitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heraclitus/) > [We are living on the brink of the apocalypse, but the world is asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-c-rosenberg/we-are-living-on-the-brink-of-the-apocalypse-but-the-world-is-asleep/) [Joel C. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-c-rosenberg/) ## More by James Patterson > [It was a little weird that they were friends. But then, maybe freaks just tended to find each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/it-was-a-little-weird-that-they-were-friends-but-then-maybe-freaks/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“The next forty-five minutes in that office was about as much fun as a day at Disney World—when it’s pouring rain. And all there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/the-next-forty-five-minutes-in-that-office-was-about-as-much-fun-as-a/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [As we go through this transition where a lot more people will be reading on devices, nobody is paying enough attention to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/as-we-go-through-this-transition-where-a-lot-more-people-will-be/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends. I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [You're lying through your fangs," Iggy accused. Fang tried to play innocent--but "innocent Fang" is an oxymoron, so it didn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/you-re-lying-through-your-fangs-iggy-accused-fang-tried-to-play/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [There are reasons people seek escape in books, and one of those reasons is that the boundary of what can happen is beyond what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/there-are-reasons-people-seek-escape-in-books-and-one-of-those/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I shot him the bird. (Get it? I shot him the—never mind.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-the-never-mind/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I get up every morning and chop wood, and I pretty much do it seven days a week, and I like to do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-get-up-every-morning-and-chop-wood-and-i-pretty-much-do-it-seven/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Witihin seconds the headhunter had lost control of his car and it squealed, sliding sideways right into several other cars. Cool!' said the Gasman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/witihin-seconds-the-headhunter-had-lost-control-of-his-car-and-it/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“It was scary. More than Sara could possibly know. More than anybody ought to know, or ever would. History wasn't for the general public--it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/it-was-scary-more-than-sara-could-possibly-know-more-than-anybody/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Did I want a dog? No. Did I need a dog? Also no. We were six kids running for our lives, not knowing where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/did-i-want-a-dog-no-did-i-need-a-dog-also-no-we-were-six-kids-running/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I'm a girl who has been tamping down her emotions and keeping them tightly guarded her whole life. And that works really well for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-m-a-girl-who-has-been-tamping-down-her-emotions-and-keeping-them/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [When my son, Jack, was four, I had to make a trip to Los Angeles. I asked him if he was going to miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/when-my-son-jack-was-four-i-had-to-make-a-trip-to-los-angeles-i-asked/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“that kid’s nothing but a little hoodlum.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/that-kid-s-nothing-but-a-little-hoodlum/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Jeezum—humans were like eggshells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/jeezum-humans-were-like-eggshells/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) [Explore all 983 James Patterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## More Whole world quotes > [“The world," said Pavone, "will swing to the left. The whole world except America. The world will swing, not because people read Karl Marx,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/the-world-said-pavone-will-swing-to-the-left-the-whole-world-except/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [At least I'm not a celebrity and if I was, the whole world would have known that I broke up with my girlfriend last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/at-least-i-m-not-a-celebrity-and-if-i-was-the-whole-world-would-have/) [Simphiwe Scientist Dumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/) > [It is popular to call it a crisis of the Western world. It is in fact a crisis of the whole world. Communism, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whittaker-chambers/it-is-popular-to-call-it-a-crisis-of-the-western-world-it-is-in-fact/) [Whittaker Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whittaker-chambers/) > [The time has come when the whole world must be concerned about me. From now on, American Christianity must follow me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-myung-moon/the-time-has-come-when-the-whole-world-must-be-concerned-about-me/) [Sun Myung Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-myung-moon/) > [“I remembered how it had been first learning to read, how the squiggles of print finally organized themselves slowly and painfully into words, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-joy-arnold/i-remembered-how-it-had-been-first-learning-to-read-how-the-squiggles/) [Elizabeth Joy Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-joy-arnold/) > [Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends. I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [“I watch the perfectly imperfect people several stories below, living their perfectly imperfect lives, and I think about how many decades will have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/i-watch-the-perfectly-imperfect-people-several-stories-below-living/) [Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/) > [Yes, Brazil, like the whole world, stands to lose a lot in a climate-altered world. But it's also one of the major forces determining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gisele-bundchen/yes-brazil-like-the-whole-world-stands-to-lose-a-lot-in-a-climate/) [Gisele Bundchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gisele-bundchen/) > [If we all stand together we're a force that can shake the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-day-to-remember/if-we-all-stand-together-we-re-a-force-that-can-shake-the-whole-world/) [A Day To Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-day-to-remember/) > [The pain was her whole world now. Pain and fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-grant/the-pain-was-her-whole-world-now-pain-and-fear/) [Michael Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-grant/) > [I've used Twitter now and again to try to figure something out; it's an amazing resource. But I think you have to use it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-ve-used-twitter-now-and-again-to-try-to-figure-something-out-it-s/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [The whole world is fleeting. Life is fleeting. So grab a pen, save it for later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-whole-world-is-fleeting-life-is-fleeting-so-grab-a-pen-save-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And now, he's wrapped around her finger She's the center of his whole world And his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/and-now-he-s-wrapped-around-her-finger-she-s-the-center-of-his-whole/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) > [“She had no one in the world. Her whole world, what was left of it, was here, and there was no way to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-goolrick/she-had-no-one-in-the-world-her-whole-world-what-was-left-of-it-was/) [Robert Goolrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-goolrick/) [Browse all 3,938 Whole world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I always had this little terror, this feeling that the whole world was asleep, that around this whole, huge planet, I was the only ne left awake in the world.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Patterson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-always-had-this-little-terror-this-feeling-that-the-whole-world-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Whole world" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-always-had-this-little-terror-this-feeling-that-the-whole-world-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/james-patterson-171_whole-world_i-always-had-this-little-terror-this-fee_2317037.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/james-patterson-171_whole-world_i-always-had-this-little-terror-this-fee_2317037.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/james-patterson-171_whole-world_i-always-had-this-little-terror-this-fee_2317037.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I always had this little terror, this feeling that the whole world was asleep, that around this whole, huge…” — James Patterson", "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": "James Patterson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I always had this little terror,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-always-had-this-little-terror-this-feeling-that-the-whole-world-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-always-had-this-little-terror-this-feeling-that-the-whole-world-was/#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 } } ] } ```