--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any fear is always worse than the thing…" description: "\"Any fear is always worse than the thing itself.\" — Josephine Lawrence" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/josephine-lawrence-45460_fear_any-fear-is-always-worse-than-the-thing_2058870.jpg" --- # Any fear is always worse than the thing itself. ![“Any fear is always worse than the thing itself.” quote by Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/josephine-lawrence-45460_fear_any-fear-is-always-worse-than-the-thing_2058870.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/josephine-lawrence-45460_fear_any-fear-is-always-worse-than-the-thing_2058870.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/josephine-lawrence-45460_fear_any-fear-is-always-worse-than-the-thing_2058870.jpg) > “Any fear is always worse than the thing itself.” [Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear amplifies perceived danger, making the imagined threat seem worse than reality. **In simple terms:** Fear makes things seem scarier. Key Takeaway Challenge irrational fears. Themes psychology fear perception anxiety mindset Mood thoughtful cautious Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - Public speaking - health decisions - financial investing - personal relationships Key Concepts Cognitive distortion risk assessment emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - What fears are based on imagination? - When is fear useful? A Different Perspective Fear can sometimes protect against genuine hazards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ## Related quotes > [Worse thing to happen when someone wants to come back in your life by the time you've already moved on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/worse-thing-to-happen-when-someone-wants-to-come-back-in-your-life-by/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“And anyway, the anticipation was always worse than the thing itself - the anticipation and the memory, of course. 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I've tried it, and it bored me worse than the other thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-hopkins-adams/work-won-t-do-me-any-good-i-ve-tried-it-and-it-bored-me-worse-than/) [Samuel Hopkins Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-hopkins-adams/) > [The worse thing is getting over someone, whose already gotten over you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-worse-thing-is-getting-over-someone-whose-already-gotten-over-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The worse thing you can do is FALL in love, your suppose to walk into it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-vincent/the-worse-thing-you-can-do-is-fall-in-love-your-suppose-to-walk-into/) [Billy Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-vincent/) > [“He was a bad thing waiting for a worse thing to happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/he-was-a-bad-thing-waiting-for-a-worse-thing-to-happen/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [The worse thing I've been told after the dentist: You can't eat for 30 Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina/the-worse-thing-i-ve-been-told-after-the-dentist-you-can-t-eat-for-30/) [Katrina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina/) > [The Worse Thing Is Caring About Someone, Wondering How They Are When The Truth Is, They've Stopped Wondering About You A Long Time Ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-worse-thing-is-caring-about-someone-wondering-how-they-are-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The worse thing in the world is for an individual to live, breath and exist and leave this earth, die, and not make impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-sapp/the-worse-thing-in-the-world-is-for-an-individual-to-live-breath-and/) [Marvin Sapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-sapp/) > [I still look forward to doing things I've never done before. But the fear beforehand is always worse than the actual moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/i-still-look-forward-to-doing-things-i-ve-never-done-before-but-the-2/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [I still look forward to doing things I've never done before. But the fear beforehand is always worse than the actual moment. Leading up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/i-still-look-forward-to-doing-things-i-ve-never-done-before-but-the/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) ## More by Josephine Lawrence > [if some folks have buried their racial prejudices, the chances are that they've got the graves marked and will have no trouble disinterring their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/if-some-folks-have-buried-their-racial-prejudices-the-chances-are/) [Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) > [I would not preach tolerance, which seems to me another name for condescension and presupposes faults in those to be tolerated ... Nor do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/i-would-not-preach-tolerance-which-seems-to-me-another-name-for/) [Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) > [Perhaps for the purposes of war racial differences had been buried, but certainly in no deep grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/perhaps-for-the-purposes-of-war-racial-differences-had-been-buried/) [Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) > [Folks think that children will make up for all they ought to do and haven't done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/folks-think-that-children-will-make-up-for-all-they-ought-to-do-and/) [Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) > [Real separation, to me, is the death of love. Any other - parting - well, it just isn't real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/real-separation-to-me-is-the-death-of-love-any-other-parting-well-it/) [Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) > [Prejudice is a seeping, dark stain, I think, more difficult to fight than hatred-which is powerful and violent and somehow more honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/prejudice-is-a-seeping-dark-stain-i-think-more-difficult-to-fight/) [Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) > [At first trouble is a new experience - gradually you learn that - that it isn't fatal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/at-first-trouble-is-a-new-experience-gradually-you-learn-that-that-it/) [Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) > [You can never tell what will happen to a theory before you can get around to using it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/you-can-never-tell-what-will-happen-to-a-theory-before-you-can-get/) [Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) [Explore all 9 Josephine Lawrence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) ## 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. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) [Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Any fear is always worse than the thing itself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Josephine Lawrence" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/any-fear-is-always-worse-than-the-thing-itself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fear" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/any-fear-is-always-worse-than-the-thing-itself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/josephine-lawrence-45460_fear_any-fear-is-always-worse-than-the-thing_2058870.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/josephine-lawrence-45460_fear_any-fear-is-always-worse-than-the-thing_2058870.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/josephine-lawrence-45460_fear_any-fear-is-always-worse-than-the-thing_2058870.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Any fear is always worse than the thing itself.” — Josephine Lawrence", "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": "Josephine Lawrence", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Any fear is always worse than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/any-fear-is-always-worse-than-the-thing-itself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/any-fear-is-always-worse-than-the-thing-itself/#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 } } ] } ```