---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, the most terrible fear that anybody…"
description: "\"Well, the most terrible fear that anybody should have is not war, is not a disease, not cancer or heart problems or food poisoning - it's a man or a wo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/jonathan-winters-19339_anybody_well-the-most-terrible-fear-that-anybody_475998.jpg"
---

#  Well, the most terrible fear that anybody should have is…

![“Well, the most terrible fear that anybody should have is not war, is not a disease, not cancer or heart problems or food poisoning - it's a man or a woman without a sense of humor.” quote by Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/jonathan-winters-19339_anybody_well-the-most-terrible-fear-that-anybody_475998.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/jonathan-winters-19339_anybody_well-the-most-terrible-fear-that-anybody_475998.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/jonathan-winters-19339_anybody_well-the-most-terrible-fear-that-anybody_475998.jpg)

> “Well, the most terrible fear that anybody should have is not war, is not a disease, not cancer or heart problems or food poisoning - it's a man or a woman without a sense of humor.”

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A lack of humor is a deeper fear than war or disease because it erodes resilience and connection.

**In simple terms:** Humor is essential for coping.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate humor in daily life.

Themes

humor resilience human connection

Mood

lighthearted reflective

Type

observational inspirational

When to use this quote

- relationships
- workplace
- personal growth
- stress relief

Key Concepts

existential anxiety social health

Questions to Reflect On

- How does humor change your response to stress?
- Can humor bridge emotional gaps?

A Different Perspective

Humor alone cannot solve serious crises.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-problems/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems/) [Sense of humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-humor/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/)

## Related quotes

> [Theres nothing to fear but fears themselves, such as monsters, rejection, food poisoning, redundancy, monsters, and oxford commas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-benzine/theres-nothing-to-fear-but-fears-themselves-such-as-monsters/)

[Craig Benzine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-benzine/)

> [Being a typical Briton, I love my home comforts and always try and find an English pub where I can tuck into some traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olly-murs/being-a-typical-briton-i-love-my-home-comforts-and-always-try-and/)

[Olly Murs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olly-murs/)

> [The symptoms of food poisoning often don't appear for days after the contaminated meal was eaten. As a result, most cases of food poisoning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schlosser/the-symptoms-of-food-poisoning-often-don-t-appear-for-days-after-the/)

[Eric Schlosser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schlosser/)

> [ Chris \[Kattan\] and Will \[Ferrell\] and I all went out – I don’t want to say where, because it’s a famous restaurant and it’s… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheri-oteri/chris-kattan-and-will-ferrell-and-i-all-went-out-i-don-t-want-to-say/)

[Cheri Oteri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheri-oteri/)

> [I got food poisoning today. I don't know when I'll use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-got-food-poisoning-today-i-don-t-know-when-i-ll-use-it/)

[Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/)

> [There have been nine Super Bowls in New Orleans, and not all of them have brought the best of luck to NFL Films. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-sabol/there-have-been-nine-super-bowls-in-new-orleans-and-not-all-of-them/)

[Steve Sabol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-sabol/)

> [What's the most humiliating thing? When you take someone to dinner or you cook somebody dinner and they get food poisoning. I mean, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendi-mclendon-covey/what-s-the-most-humiliating-thing-when-you-take-someone-to-dinner-or/)

[Wendi McLendon-Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendi-mclendon-covey/)

> [My mother accidentally gave me food poisoning. She fed me baby carrots for a snack before Christmas dinner - but they had expired in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/busy-philipps/my-mother-accidentally-gave-me-food-poisoning-she-fed-me-baby-carrots/)

[Busy Philipps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/busy-philipps/)

> [There's more of gravey than grave about you, whatever you are!" - Scrooge, referring to Marley's ghost which he believes is a hallucination from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-s-more-of-gravey-than-grave-about-you-whatever-you-are-scrooge/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [As a matter of fact, most cases of food poisoning are never linked back to their source.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schlosser/as-a-matter-of-fact-most-cases-of-food-poisoning-are-never-linked/)

[Eric Schlosser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schlosser/)

> [She got to you, too, huh?" I said, sliding onto the bench seat across from him. "Actually, I called her." Luca grinned. "I'm vomiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/she-got-to-you-too-huh-i-said-sliding-onto-the-bench-seat-across-from/)

[Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/)

> [I can't wait to see the debate between Ryan and Joe Biden. Biden is said to be already trying out different strategies. So far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-can-t-wait-to-see-the-debate-between-ryan-and-joe-biden-biden-is/)

[Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/)

> [The hover cars were terrifying. I manage to make it even more terrifying by having food poisoning on that day as well. Hover cars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-beckinsale/the-hover-cars-were-terrifying-i-manage-to-make-it-even-more/)

[Kate Beckinsale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-beckinsale/)

> [Can you imagine the headlines if I gave someone food poisoning? They'd hang me off Tower Bridge by my ballbag!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-ramsay/can-you-imagine-the-headlines-if-i-gave-someone-food-poisoning-they-d/)

[Gordon Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-ramsay/)

> [In addition to contributing to erosion, pollution, food poisoning, and the dead zone, corn requires huge amounts of fossil fuel - it takes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-addition-to-contributing-to-erosion-pollution-food-poisoning-and/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

## More by Jonathan Winters

> [I have a photographic memory; I just haven't developed it yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/i-have-a-photographic-memory-i-just-haven-t-developed-it-yet/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/if-your-ship-doesn-t-come-in-swim-out-to-it/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [I have never pretended to be any kind of super-religious kind of man, but I feel very strongly that you can be funny without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/i-have-never-pretended-to-be-any-kind-of-super-religious-kind-of-man/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [As a kid, I always wanted to be lots of things. I was a Walter Mitty type. I wanted to be in the French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/as-a-kid-i-always-wanted-to-be-lots-of-things-i-was-a-walter-mitty/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [When you wear so many hats in society, you never know who you are. That's the beauty of it. Because once you find out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/when-you-wear-so-many-hats-in-society-you-never-know-who-you-are-that/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [I've always been proud of being a Marine. I won't hesitate to defend the Corps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/i-ve-always-been-proud-of-being-a-marine-i-won-t-hesitate-to-defend/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [I don't do jokes. The characters are my jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/i-don-t-do-jokes-the-characters-are-my-jokes/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [I find painting a much slower process than comedy, where you can go a mile a minute verbally and hope to God that some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/i-find-painting-a-much-slower-process-than-comedy-where-you-can-go-a/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [I don't do anything the same every day. Discipline is tough for a guy who is a rebel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/i-don-t-do-anything-the-same-every-day-discipline-is-tough-for-a-guy/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [Discipline is tough for a guy who is a rebel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/discipline-is-tough-for-a-guy-who-is-a-rebel/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [I don't paint every day. I'm not that motivated. I don't do anything the same every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/i-don-t-paint-every-day-i-m-not-that-motivated-i-don-t-do-anything/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [I was talking to a businessman, and I said, Don't you think most men are little boys? And he said, I'm no little boy!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/i-was-talking-to-a-businessman-and-i-said-don-t-you-think-most-men/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [I was always an observer, even as a child. I could be satisfied to sit in a car for 3 hours and just look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/i-was-always-an-observer-even-as-a-child-i-could-be-satisfied-to-sit/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [I may not be playing with a full deck but I don't need a full deck. I have four aces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/i-may-not-be-playing-with-a-full-deck-but-i-don-t-need-a-full-deck-i/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

> [Nothing is impossible. Some things are just less likely than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/nothing-is-impossible-some-things-are-just-less-likely-than-others/)

[Jonathan Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

[Explore all 33 Jonathan Winters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/)

## More Anybody quotes

> [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [The reason I got into acting was not to explore myself. I was a reader, I didn't care about acting. I got into it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/the-reason-i-got-into-acting-was-not-to-explore-myself-i-was-a-reader/)

[Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/)

> [I would never refuse to work with anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleen-nolan/i-would-never-refuse-to-work-with-anybody/)

[Coleen Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleen-nolan/)

> [Take control of who you report to, what you do, what you create. Or start a business on the side. Deliver some value, any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/take-control-of-who-you-report-to-what-you-do-what-you-create-or/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [I'm against unanswerable concentrations of power, whether that be government or private industry or religious figures - anybody who is not accountable to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-suarez/i-m-against-unanswerable-concentrations-of-power-whether-that-be/)

[Daniel Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-suarez/)

> [Anybody who is an entrepreneur is a person who essentially has impaired judgment. The odds of success are zilch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/anybody-who-is-an-entrepreneur-is-a-person-who-essentially-has/)

[Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/)

> [The reality is that the work I do is not private work. I bring all my secrets, my life, to my work. Anybody who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-garcia/the-reality-is-that-the-work-i-do-is-not-private-work-i-bring-all-my/)

[Andy Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-garcia/)

> [I want everybody to worship the God of love instead of worshipping the God of hate and torture. But in the meantime, we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/i-want-everybody-to-worship-the-god-of-love-instead-of-worshipping/)

[Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/)

> [I don't know anybody that doesn't own a gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-manchin/i-don-t-know-anybody-that-doesn-t-own-a-gun/)

[Joe Manchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-manchin/)

> [The Bushes were certainly part of Texas in their mind, but they didn't have the kind of political flavor that you normally find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-bushes-were-certainly-part-of-texas-in-their-mind-but-they-didn-t/)

[Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/)

> [There's no recovery on Main Street, I can tell you that for sure. And in a re - in an economy like this, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-barbour/there-s-no-recovery-on-main-street-i-can-tell-you-that-for-sure-and/)

[Haley Barbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-barbour/)

> [With what all these people are saying, do you think that anybody wants to be around me? They all think that I did this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/with-what-all-these-people-are-saying-do-you-think-that-anybody-wants/)

[Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/)

> [I'll fight anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-aaron/i-ll-fight-anybody/)

[Max Aaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-aaron/)

> [The problem men seem to have, and women, too, is that they have this very structured idea that we should find a partner and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-kendal/the-problem-men-seem-to-have-and-women-too-is-that-they-have-this/)

[Felicity Kendal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-kendal/)

> [I've done more impeachments than anybody else in the history of the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/i-ve-done-more-impeachments-than-anybody-else-in-the-history-of-the/)

[Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/)

Browse all 1,177 Anybody quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Well, the most terrible fear that anybody should have is not war, is not a disease, not cancer or heart problems or food poisoning - it's a man or a woman without a sense of humor.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonathan Winters"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/well-the-most-terrible-fear-that-anybody-should-have-is-not-war-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Anybody"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/well-the-most-terrible-fear-that-anybody-should-have-is-not-war-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/jonathan-winters-19339_anybody_well-the-most-terrible-fear-that-anybody_475998.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/jonathan-winters-19339_anybody_well-the-most-terrible-fear-that-anybody_475998.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/jonathan-winters-19339_anybody_well-the-most-terrible-fear-that-anybody_475998.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Well, the most terrible fear that anybody should have is not war, is not a disease, not cancer or heart…” — Jonathan Winters",
                "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": "Jonathan Winters",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-winters/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Well, the most terrible fear that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/well-the-most-terrible-fear-that-anybody-should-have-is-not-war-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-winters/well-the-most-terrible-fear-that-anybody-should-have-is-not-war-is/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
