--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are more often frightened than hurt…" description: "\"We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.\" — Lucius Annaeus Seneca" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa6/lucius-annaeus-seneca-3079_frightened_we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-a_2857189.jpg" --- # We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more… ![“We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.” quote by Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa6/lucius-annaeus-seneca-3079_frightened_we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-a_2857189.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa6/lucius-annaeus-seneca-3079_frightened_we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-a_2857189.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa6/lucius-annaeus-seneca-3079_frightened_we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-a_2857189.jpg) > “We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.” [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our fears often exceed actual harm, and imagination amplifies suffering more than reality does. **In simple terms:** Imagination magnifies fear and pain. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge imagined threats. Themes fear imagination perception Mood anxious reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal anxiety - decision making - stress management Key Concepts Stoicism cognitive distortion Questions to Reflect On - What fears are based on imagined outcomes? - How can you test reality against imagination? A Different Perspective Imagination can also inspire creativity, not just fear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Frightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightened/) [Frightened Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightened-hurt-295295/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Hurt Suffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-suffer-2080992/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Imagination reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination-reality/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Suffer Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffer-imagination-922623/) ## Related quotes > [“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/we-suffer-more-often-in-imagination-than-in-reality/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [We suffer more often in imagination than in reality. \[We must learn to control and focus the force of our imagination on the good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/we-suffer-more-often-in-imagination-than-in-reality-we-must-learn-to/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [We suffer more in imagination than in reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/we-suffer-more-in-imagination-than-in-reality/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [It's not the innocent young things that need gentle handling--it's the ones that have been frightened and hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/it-s-not-the-innocent-young-things-that-need-gentle-handling-it-s-the/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“and I actually talked about God, the one who had abandoned me when I was very little, very frightened, and very hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcoholics-anonymous/and-i-actually-talked-about-god-the-one-who-had-abandoned-me-when-i/) [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcoholics-anonymous/) > [“Part of what you have to figure out in this life is, Who would I be if I hadn’t been frightened? What hurt me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-lockwood/part-of-what-you-have-to-figure-out-in-this-life-is-who-would-i-be-if/) [Patricia Lockwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-lockwood/) > [DON'T HURT ANYONE..it might be you who will suffer the serious consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrthrill/don-t-hurt-anyone-it-might-be-you-who-will-suffer-the-serious/) [Mrthrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mrthrill/) > [We are more often frightened than hurt: our troubles spring more often from fancy than reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca/we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-our-troubles-spring-more-often/) [Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca/) > [I don't like to see anybody hurt or suffer, especially children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-don-t-like-to-see-anybody-hurt-or-suffer-especially-children/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [“There will be pain on everyone's part. We will cause hurt, and we will suffer, and in the end, we'll be no better for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-mcmahon/there-will-be-pain-on-everyone-s-part-we-will-cause-hurt-and-we-will/) [Tyler Mcmahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-mcmahon/) > [In my journey of life, I am looking for the reasons, why I exist in this world, now I realized one thing why I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reolope/in-my-journey-of-life-i-am-looking-for-the-reasons-why-i-exist-in/) [Janet Reolope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reolope/) > [I'm exhausted from the nonexistent bullshit my mind makes up. To suffer from imagination rather than from reality has got to be one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/needa-muy/i-m-exhausted-from-the-nonexistent-bullshit-my-mind-makes-up-to/) [Needa Muy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/needa-muy/) > [Our fears are more numerous than our dangers, and we suffer more in our imagination than in reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca/our-fears-are-more-numerous-than-our-dangers-and-we-suffer-more-in/) [Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca/) > [“Whomever or whatever the visitors are, their activities go far beyond a mere study of mankind. They are involved with us on very deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitley-strieber/whomever-or-whatever-the-visitors-are-their-activities-go-far-beyond/) [Whitley Strieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitley-strieber/) > [While the world of reality has its limits, the world of your imagination is without boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/while-the-world-of-reality-has-its-limits-the-world-of-your/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) ## More by Lucius Annaeus Seneca > [It's not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It's because we dare not venture that they are difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/it-s-not-because-things-are-difficult-that-we-dare-not-venture-it-s/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“Often a very old man has no other proof of his long life than his age.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/often-a-very-old-man-has-no-other-proof-of-his-long-life-than-his-age/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“But nothing will help quite so much as just keeping quiet, talking with other people as little as possible, with yourself as much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/but-nothing-will-help-quite-so-much-as-just-keeping-quiet-talking/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“Qui mori didicit servire dedidicit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/qui-mori-didicit-servire-dedidicit/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“You should … live in such a way that there is nothing which you could not as easily tell your enemy as keep to yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/you-should-live-in-such-a-way-that-there-is-nothing-which-you-could/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [A physician is not angry at the intemperance of a mad patient, nor does he take it ill to be railed at by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/a-physician-is-not-angry-at-the-intemperance-of-a-mad-patient-nor/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [It even helps stupid people to try hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/it-even-helps-stupid-people-to-try-hard/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [The mind that is anxious about the future is miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/the-mind-that-is-anxious-about-the-future-is-miserable/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“It is a great man that can treat his earthenware as if it was silver, and a man who treats his silver as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/it-is-a-great-man-that-can-treat-his-earthenware-as-if-it-was-silver/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“Conversation has a kind of charm about it, an insinuating and insidious something that elicits secrets just like love or liquor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/conversation-has-a-kind-of-charm-about-it-an-insinuating-and/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“I am not born for one corner; the whole world is my native land.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/i-am-not-born-for-one-corner-the-whole-world-is-my-native-land/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“As often as I have been amongst men, I have returned less a man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/as-often-as-i-have-been-amongst-men-i-have-returned-less-a-man/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [A punishment to some, to some a gift, and to many a favor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/a-punishment-to-some-to-some-a-gift-and-to-many-a-favor/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“Once you have rid yourself of the affliction there, though, every change of scene will become a pleasure. You may be banished to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/once-you-have-rid-yourself-of-the-affliction-there-though-every/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“When a person spends all his time in foreign travel, he ends by having many acquaintances, but no friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/when-a-person-spends-all-his-time-in-foreign-travel-he-ends-by-having/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) [Explore all 133 Lucius Annaeus Seneca quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) ## More Frightened quotes > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [“and I actually talked about God, the one who had abandoned me when I was very little, very frightened, and very hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcoholics-anonymous/and-i-actually-talked-about-god-the-one-who-had-abandoned-me-when-i/) [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcoholics-anonymous/) > [I don't think kids have a problem with death. It's us older ones who are nearer to it, that start being frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-bonham-carter/i-don-t-think-kids-have-a-problem-with-death-it-s-us-older-ones-who/) [Helena Bonham Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-bonham-carter/) > [American imperialism has always been the imperialism that has been frightened of speaking its name. Now it's beginning to do so. In a way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/american-imperialism-has-always-been-the-imperialism-that-has-been/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [We all have prejudices to dispel: the need to get away from thinking that 'I' am important and special and 'you' are not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/we-all-have-prejudices-to-dispel-the-need-to-get-away-from-thinking/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Megachurches. I can't be the only one frightened when our houses of worship sound like they could take on Godzilla.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/megachurches-i-can-t-be-the-only-one-frightened-when-our-houses-of/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [No one seems to have learned, or can remember, the magic words that calm people when they are frightened or threatened: "I'm sorry; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-tavris/no-one-seems-to-have-learned-or-can-remember-the-magic-words-that/) [Carol Tavris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-tavris/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I can't help it when people are frightened," says Merricat. "I always want to frighten them more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/i-can-t-help-it-when-people-are-frightened-says-merricat-i-always/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [Soothing touch, whether it be applied to a ruffled cat, a crying infant, or a frightened child, has a universally recognized power to ameliorate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deane-juhan/soothing-touch-whether-it-be-applied-to-a-ruffled-cat-a-crying-infant/) [Deane Juhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deane-juhan/) > [Sometimes I've been to a party where no one spoke to me for a whole evening. The men, frightened by their wives or sweeites...the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/sometimes-i-ve-been-to-a-party-where-no-one-spoke-to-me-for-a-whole/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [All your names I and my friend approve of or nearly all as to sense & expression, but I am frightened by their length…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-faraday/all-your-names-i-and-my-friend-approve-of-or-nearly-all-as-to-sense/) [Michael Faraday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-faraday/) > [I was hit by a car. I almost died. My show was taken away from me. I was frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-brennan/i-was-hit-by-a-car-i-almost-died-my-show-was-taken-away-from-me-i-was/) [Eileen Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-brennan/) > [“She was using the water as she had used the fruit earlier—to calm herself, to assure herself of the possibility of normality. Yet all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/she-was-using-the-water-as-she-had-used-the-fruit-earlier-to-calm/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) [Browse all 1,303 Frightened quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightened/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lucius Annaeus Seneca" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-and-we-suffer-more-from/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Frightened" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-and-we-suffer-more-from/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa6/lucius-annaeus-seneca-3079_frightened_we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-a_2857189.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa6/lucius-annaeus-seneca-3079_frightened_we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-a_2857189.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa6/lucius-annaeus-seneca-3079_frightened_we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-a_2857189.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.” — Lucius Annaeus Seneca", "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": "Lucius Annaeus Seneca", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are more often frightened than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-and-we-suffer-more-from/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/we-are-more-often-frightened-than-hurt-and-we-suffer-more-from/#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 } } ] } ```