--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not fear that keeps me up. I mean…" description: "\"It's not fear that keeps me up. I mean, every generation has thought, this is the worst generation; the world's going to hell in a hand basket. The rea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/833/juan-enriquez-10680_baskets_it-s-not-fear-that-keeps-me-up-i-mean-ev_1070448.png" --- # It's not fear that keeps me up. I mean, every generation… ![“It's not fear that keeps me up. I mean, every generation has thought, this is the worst generation; the world's going to hell in a hand basket. The reality is, people are living longer, and they're living better.” quote by Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/833/juan-enriquez-10680_baskets_it-s-not-fear-that-keeps-me-up-i-mean-ev_1070448.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/833/juan-enriquez-10680_baskets_it-s-not-fear-that-keeps-me-up-i-mean-ev_1070448.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/833/juan-enriquez-10680_baskets_it-s-not-fear-that-keeps-me-up-i-mean-ev_1070448.png) > “It's not fear that keeps me up. I mean, every generation has thought, this is the worst generation; the world's going to hell in a hand basket. The reality is, people are living longer, and they're living better.” [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often view each era as the worst, yet longer, healthier lives show progress despite pessimism. **In simple terms:** Every generation feels doomed, but reality shows improvement. Key Takeaway Recognize progress, reduce fear. Themes generational anxiety optimism longevity Mood reflective hopeful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - public policy - personal health - media narratives Key Concepts sociology psychology demography Questions to Reflect On - How does your generation compare to past ones? - What evidence counters the “worst generation” belief? A Different Perspective Pessimism can ignore systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baskets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baskets/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Keeps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-keeps-583204/) [Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation/) [Generation Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation-thought-740830/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Living better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-better/) [Living Longer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-longer-495639/) [Longer Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longer-living-871857/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Worst Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-generation-2663673/) ## Related quotes > [“In other words, we’re living longer, but we’re living sicker.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-greger/in-other-words-we-re-living-longer-but-we-re-living-sicker/) [Michael Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-greger/) > [“You don't beat the grim reaper by living longer; you beat the grim reaper by living better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/you-don-t-beat-the-grim-reaper-by-living-longer-you-beat-the-grim/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [We'll only done learning, when we are no longer living, as long as we are alive we'll continue to learn either willing or must.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaze-olamiday/we-ll-only-done-learning-when-we-are-no-longer-living-as-long-as-we/) [Blaze Olamiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaze-olamiday/) > [Johnny: Life is to short for the best people, for the bad people its just longer living lives which is unnecessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/johnny-life-is-to-short-for-the-best-people-for-the-bad-people-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We don't beat the reaper by living longer, but by living well, and living fully - for the reaper will come for all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-don-t-beat-the-reaper-by-living-longer-but-by-living-well-and/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [The longer I go about living, I see it's the relationship that is most meaningful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/the-longer-i-go-about-living-i-see-it-s-the-relationship-that-is-most/) [William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/) > [I didn't have a philosophical understanding of music until I came to New York. I didn't understand how it applied to my kind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-didn-t-have-a-philosophical-understanding-of-music-until-i-came-to/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [“They had something, that generation, he thought. They didn't doubt themselves. They knew what life was, and where they belonged in it. Not like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/they-had-something-that-generation-he-thought-they-didn-t-doubt/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [The older generation thought nothing of getting up at five every morning - and the younger generation doesn't think much of it either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-j-welsh/the-older-generation-thought-nothing-of-getting-up-at-five-every/) [John J Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-j-welsh/) > [In every age and every generation, men have envisioned a promised land. Some may have envisioned it with the wrong ideology, with the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/in-every-age-and-every-generation-men-have-envisioned-a-promised-land/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [My generation those who were students in the late 60s was always, in the words of the Who, talking about our generation. That's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/my-generation-those-who-were-students-in-the-late-60s-was-always-in/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [I was born 20 years after World War II had ended, and people of my generation mostly thought of it as a terrible period…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-leunens/i-was-born-20-years-after-world-war-ii-had-ended-and-people-of-my/) [Christine Leunens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-leunens/) > [That was probably the mistake of my generation, that we thought that having sex with anyone would be intimate and it wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/that-was-probably-the-mistake-of-my-generation-that-we-thought-that/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [“We appeared to be done with the marriage plot. ('What's the alternative to the marriage plot?' She said: ' The alternative is adventure.') My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carina-chocano/we-appeared-to-be-done-with-the-marriage-plot-what-s-the-alternative/) [Carina Chocano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carina-chocano/) > [When I was in high school, in my generation, I thought that you got a logical, sensible job, or you got married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-lawrence/when-i-was-in-high-school-in-my-generation-i-thought-that-you-got-a/) [Vicki Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-lawrence/) ## More by Juan Enriquez > [Those of us of a certain age grew up expecting that by now we would have Rosie the Robot from 'The Jetsons' in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/those-of-us-of-a-certain-age-grew-up-expecting-that-by-now-we-would/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [I've always been interested in why countries appear and disappear. And the curious thing is how often it happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-why-countries-appear-and-disappear-and/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [There are certain zip codes that generate a disproportionate share of patents, of startups, of wealth, of jobs. And it's really important if other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/there-are-certain-zip-codes-that-generate-a-disproportionate-share-of/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [Try to live without something digital - without digital code for about two hours, very hard to do if you're awake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/try-to-live-without-something-digital-without-digital-code-for-about/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [It's such an extraordinary time to be alive that you just don't want to miss it. I mean, it's a really neat historical period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/it-s-such-an-extraordinary-time-to-be-alive-that-you-just-don-t-want/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [The U.S. started with no stars. In fact, it started with a completely different flag. The last two were added in 1959, Hawaii and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/the-u-s-started-with-no-stars-in-fact-it-started-with-a-completely/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [China has, all of a sudden, found a way of putting the best of the best to work to build an economy that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/china-has-all-of-a-sudden-found-a-way-of-putting-the-best-of-the-best/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [There is so much extraordinary opportunity if you're curious, if you're interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/there-is-so-much-extraordinary-opportunity-if-you-re-curious-if-you/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [Not only are we reading life code, we're beginning to copy it through cloning, and we're beginning to write, and in the measure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/not-only-are-we-reading-life-code-we-re-beginning-to-copy-it-through/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [One of the lessons that I hope people will take out is the extreme dependence simply on the financial sector is really dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/one-of-the-lessons-that-i-hope-people-will-take-out-is-the-extreme/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [The difference between people who can read and write and those who can't is just absolutely astronomical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/the-difference-between-people-who-can-read-and-write-and-those-who/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [It's not completely inconceivable that someday you'll be able to download your own memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/it-s-not-completely-inconceivable-that-someday-you-ll-be-able-to/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [Borlaug would be one figure that I think fundamentally changed India, China, all of Southeast Asia, and gave them the time to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/borlaug-would-be-one-figure-that-i-think-fundamentally-changed-india/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [When I grew up, I simply didn't have mentors that said, "Science is important. Science helps you build a country. Science makes a country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/when-i-grew-up-i-simply-didn-t-have-mentors-that-said-science-is/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [It's actually very hard to find an area of the economy that doesn't fundamentally change in the measure that we are able to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/it-s-actually-very-hard-to-find-an-area-of-the-economy-that-doesn-t/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) [Explore all 64 Juan Enriquez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) ## More Baskets quotes > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I wonder how, among the Fremont, mothers and daughters shared their world. Did they walk side by side along the lake edge? What stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-wonder-how-among-the-fremont-mothers-and-daughters-shared-their/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [There's none as deaf as those who won't listen. I get letters. If they are moronic, they go in the wastepaper basket, but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-bates/there-s-none-as-deaf-as-those-who-won-t-listen-i-get-letters-if-they/) [Ken Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-bates/) > [It takes 10 hands to score a basket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-takes-10-hands-to-score-a-basket/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Faith don't come in a bushel basket, Missy. It come one step at a time. Decide to trust Him for one little thing today,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-austin/faith-don-t-come-in-a-bushel-basket-missy-it-come-one-step-at-a-time/) [Lynn Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-austin/) > [We are constituted a good deal like chickens, which, taken from the hen, and put in a basket of cotton in the chimney-corner, willoften…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-are-constituted-a-good-deal-like-chickens-which-taken-from-the-hen/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We have to have a special insight, or we'll put it in the 'too tough' basket. All of you have to look for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-have-to-have-a-special-insight-or-we-ll-put-it-in-the-too-tough/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [The human race shouldn't have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet. Let's hope we can avoid dropping the basket until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-shouldn-t-have-all-its-eggs-in-one-basket-or-on-one/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I have done conferences explaining that cloud is a bad idea. It's putting all your eggs in one basket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-demon-calce/i-have-done-conferences-explaining-that-cloud-is-a-bad-idea-it-s/) [Michael Demon Calce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-demon-calce/) > [I got about half the time I wanted to write poetry. I got about half the time I needed to be a father. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/i-got-about-half-the-time-i-wanted-to-write-poetry-i-got-about-half/) [Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/) > [The Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for the human race to keep all its eggs in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-earth-is-just-too-small-and-fragile-a-basket-for-the-human-race/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My homies that are around me never give me that 'star pass.' I've hung out with some stars who are playing basketball and everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-foxx/my-homies-that-are-around-me-never-give-me-that-star-pass-i-ve-hung/) [Jamie Foxx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-foxx/) > [Kobe enjoys that situation. Stepping up and making the big basket or being involved in a key play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kidd/kobe-enjoys-that-situation-stepping-up-and-making-the-big-basket-or/) [Jason Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kidd/) > [ When children ask me what's my favorite \[role\], I say to them, "Imagine having ten beautiful new puppies in a basket and you had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/when-children-ask-me-what-s-my-favorite-role-i-say-to-them-imagine/) [Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/) > [The basket looked like an ocean, and I was just throwing rocks in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-iverson/the-basket-looked-like-an-ocean-and-i-was-just-throwing-rocks-in/) [Allen Iverson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-iverson/) [Browse all 289 Baskets quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baskets/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not fear that keeps me up. 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