--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once you know how completely and suddenly…" description: "\"Once you know how completely and suddenly the earth can open up at your feet and the worst can happen, it also, paradoxically, leaves you more afraid o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/linda-colley-3299_afraid_once-you-know-how-completely-and-suddenl_2900256.jpg" --- # Once you know how completely and suddenly the earth can… ![“Once you know how completely and suddenly the earth can open up at your feet and the worst can happen, it also, paradoxically, leaves you more afraid of everything else.” quote by Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/linda-colley-3299_afraid_once-you-know-how-completely-and-suddenl_2900256.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/linda-colley-3299_afraid_once-you-know-how-completely-and-suddenl_2900256.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/linda-colley-3299_afraid_once-you-know-how-completely-and-suddenl_2900256.jpg) > “Once you know how completely and suddenly the earth can open up at your feet and the worst can happen, it also, paradoxically, leaves you more afraid of everything else.” [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sudden, catastrophic events reveal how fragile stability is, increasing fear of other potential threats. **In simple terms:** Unexpected disasters heighten fear of other risks. Key Takeaway Prepare for uncertainty. Themes fear uncertainty resilience Mood anxious thoughtful Type psychological philosophical When to use this quote - disaster planning - mental health coping - risk assessment Key Concepts psychology risk management Questions to Reflect On - How do you cope with uncertainty? - What builds resilience after trauma? A Different Perspective Fear can become paralyzing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [“The most important fact about the war to most people was that if it ended suddenly, Earth’s economy would collapse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/the-most-important-fact-about-the-war-to-most-people-was-that-if-it/) [Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/) > [“And suddenly, the earth was an alien place, and she a voyager without sure destination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodgers-clemens/and-suddenly-the-earth-was-an-alien-place-and-she-a-voyager-without/) Rodgers Clemens > [“Decisions are made in life,  you make them and you stand by them, they're what make us who we are, they define us in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-darshan/decisions-are-made-in-life-you-make-them-and-you-stand-by-them-they/) T. Darshan > [“It is precisely, if paradoxically, because reversal is in the service of repetition (so as to ensure, alongside its companion strategies, a dizzying proliferation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-beizer/it-is-precisely-if-paradoxically-because-reversal-is-in-the-service/) Janet Beizer > [“Not only are we inescapably alone in the realms of our private thoughts, perceptions and feelings, but we are also, paradoxically, inescapably together in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/not-only-are-we-inescapably-alone-in-the-realms-of-our-private/) [Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/) > [“It's rarely pointed out, even though it's so obvious, that the artistic triumph of the small screen has paradoxically come at the expense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-essex/it-s-rarely-pointed-out-even-though-it-s-so-obvious-that-the-artistic/) [Andrew Essex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-essex/) > [“Step One is, paradoxically, both a crushing end and a beginning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/step-one-is-paradoxically-both-a-crushing-end-and-a-beginning/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [Paradoxically, the more deeply one grows in enlightenment, the more clearly one discerns one's own frailties and limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-hee-jin/paradoxically-the-more-deeply-one-grows-in-enlightenment-the-more/) Kim Hee-jin > [“Paradoxically, it now is much easier to treat many mental disorders than it is to understand them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randolph-m-nesse/paradoxically-it-now-is-much-easier-to-treat-many-mental-disorders/) [Randolph M. Nesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randolph-m-nesse/) > [“it sounds paradoxically, but: "love was counting seconds before time was created”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gika/it-sounds-paradoxically-but-love-was-counting-seconds-before-time-was/) Gika > [“Markets are born free, yet no sooner are they born than some would-be emperor is forging chains. Paradoxically,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/markets-are-born-free-yet-no-sooner-are-they-born-than-some-would-be/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [Paradoxically, to be truly idle, you also have to be efficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/paradoxically-to-be-truly-idle-you-also-have-to-be-efficient/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Paradoxically nothing exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/paradoxically-nothing-exists/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [Paradoxically, the ability to be alone is the condition for the ability to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/paradoxically-the-ability-to-be-alone-is-the-condition-for-the/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“although the phrase “come back” is misleading because in the realm of meditative daydream the only way to “go there” is, paradoxically, to totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/although-the-phrase-come-back-is-misleading-because-in-the-realm-of/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) ## More by Linda Colley > [Britain, like other European states, is not and never will again be in the top-world-power league, so its male leaders can afford to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/britain-like-other-european-states-is-not-and-never-will-again-be-in/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Hillary Clinton is tough, clever, and formidably well briefed, and has been politically ambitious all her adult life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/hillary-clinton-is-tough-clever-and-formidably-well-briefed-and-has/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [In Great Britain, woman was subordinate and confined. But at least she was also safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/in-great-britain-woman-was-subordinate-and-confined-but-at-least-she/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Once conscription was introduced during the First World War, and once Britain's wars ceased being confined to the empire or to continental Europe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-conscription-was-introduced-during-the-first-world-war-and-once/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Virtually every war fought since the Act of Union had gone badly at some stage, but before 1783 none had ended in defeat. Nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/virtually-every-war-fought-since-the-act-of-union-had-gone-badly-at/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Traditionally, royal females who have not had the luck to become queens regnant have been granted very limited roles. They have been expected to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/traditionally-royal-females-who-have-not-had-the-luck-to-become/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Never fly to the U.S. the day before Thanksgiving or the weekend after because every airport is guaranteed to be crammed to bursting with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/never-fly-to-the-u-s-the-day-before-thanksgiving-or-the-weekend-after/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Men and women do not live by bread alone. They also need sustaining ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/men-and-women-do-not-live-by-bread-alone-they-also-need-sustaining/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [High-level political wives are by no means new. In the 18th and 19th centuries, when patricians dominated British political life, it was common for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/high-level-political-wives-are-by-no-means-new-in-the-18th-and-19th/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Governments should encourage and facilitate the teaching of history, but one does not want them to be able to dictate, for political or partisan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/governments-should-encourage-and-facilitate-the-teaching-of-history/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Although Britain has, since 1653, had nothing approaching a single, codified constitution, it did for a very long time possess a broad cult of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/although-britain-has-since-1653-had-nothing-approaching-a-single/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Even at its most powerful, Britain always needed alliances with other European states. There would almost certainly have been no British victory at Waterloo,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/even-at-its-most-powerful-britain-always-needed-alliances-with-other/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Far from being aberrant and un-British, criticising a war in which our troops are actively engaged is a long-established parliamentary and political tradition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/far-from-being-aberrant-and-un-british-criticising-a-war-in-which-our/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [One of the reasons why the personnel of U.S. politics are more diverse is that - unlike the U.K. - one can compete for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/one-of-the-reasons-why-the-personnel-of-u-s-politics-are-more-diverse/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [“By Jamaican standards, this level of slave-ownership on the part of a skilled craftsman was not unusual. The 157 inhabitants of Port Royal who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/by-jamaican-standards-this-level-of-slave-ownership-on-the-part-of-a/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) [Explore all 134 Linda Colley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“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/) > [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) Darlene Senger > [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/) [Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/) > [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/) [Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) Browse all 5,519 Afraid quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Once you know how completely and suddenly the earth can open up at your feet and the worst can happen, it also, paradoxically, leaves you more afraid of everything else.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Linda Colley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-you-know-how-completely-and-suddenly-the-earth-can-open-up-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afraid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-you-know-how-completely-and-suddenly-the-earth-can-open-up-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/linda-colley-3299_afraid_once-you-know-how-completely-and-suddenl_2900256.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/linda-colley-3299_afraid_once-you-know-how-completely-and-suddenl_2900256.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/linda-colley-3299_afraid_once-you-know-how-completely-and-suddenl_2900256.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Once you know how completely and suddenly the earth can open up at your feet and the worst can happen, it…” — Linda Colley", "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": "Linda Colley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Once you know how completely and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-you-know-how-completely-and-suddenly-the-earth-can-open-up-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-you-know-how-completely-and-suddenly-the-earth-can-open-up-at/#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 } } ] } ```