---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We see unreasoning fear driving a certain…"
description: "\"We see unreasoning fear driving a certain amount of public policy, perhaps more in Europe than in the U.S.\" — Martha Nussbaum"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/martha-nussbaum-4759_driving_we-see-unreasoning-fear-driving-a-certai_867174.jpg"
---

#  We see unreasoning fear driving a certain amount of public…

![“We see unreasoning fear driving a certain amount of public policy, perhaps more in Europe than in the U.S.” quote by Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/martha-nussbaum-4759_driving_we-see-unreasoning-fear-driving-a-certai_867174.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/martha-nussbaum-4759_driving_we-see-unreasoning-fear-driving-a-certai_867174.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/martha-nussbaum-4759_driving_we-see-unreasoning-fear-driving-a-certai_867174.jpg)

> “We see unreasoning fear driving a certain amount of public policy, perhaps more in Europe than in the U.S.”

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

## About This Quote

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

Public policy can be shaped by irrational fear, especially in Europe compared to the U.S.

**In simple terms:** Fear influences policy decisions.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and challenge fear‑driven policies.

Themes

politics fear policy culture Europe USA

Mood

concerned analytical

Type

critical observational

When to use this quote

- legislative debates
- media analysis
- public health decisions
- immigration policy

Key Concepts

risk perception emotional bias governance

Questions to Reflect On

- How does fear shape your political views?
- When is fear a rational response?

A Different Perspective

Fear may be justified in some contexts, making blanket criticism risky.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Driving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driving/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/)

## Related quotes

> [Fear is a driving force for most of the things that I do. I don't know if that's healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/fear-is-a-driving-force-for-most-of-the-things-that-i-do-i-don-t-know/)

[David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/)

> [Superstition is an unreasoning fear of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/superstition-is-an-unreasoning-fear-of-god/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

> [Economic policy and foreign policy in Europe have been too liberal. We have failed when it comes to maintaining the social contract, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mette-frederiksen/economic-policy-and-foreign-policy-in-europe-have-been-too-liberal-we/)

[Mette Frederiksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mette-frederiksen/)

> [Germany is dictating its policy in Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-a-pissarides/germany-is-dictating-its-policy-in-europe/)

Christopher A. Pissarides

> [In order to guarantee security in Europe, we need to strongly confront our defense policy in Europe. And we need a solution to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/in-order-to-guarantee-security-in-europe-we-need-to-strongly-confront/)

[Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/)

> [I believe that we must attach greater importance to the issue of industrial policy in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annegret-kramp-karrenbauer/i-believe-that-we-must-attach-greater-importance-to-the-issue-of/)

[Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annegret-kramp-karrenbauer/)

> [I didn't go abroad until quite late. A friend drove us to Amalfi, Italy, for his sister's wedding when I was a teenager. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harewood/i-didn-t-go-abroad-until-quite-late-a-friend-drove-us-to-amalfi-italy/)

[David Harewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harewood/)

> [Luckily I was not born in Eastern Europe, because I might have been born into the communist establishment and I'm glad I was not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amira-hass/luckily-i-was-not-born-in-eastern-europe-because-i-might-have-been/)

[Amira Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amira-hass/)

> [I'm not particularly optimistic, but I hope that the lack of alternatives will lead to it. I would like to remind you of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-gentiloni/i-m-not-particularly-optimistic-but-i-hope-that-the-lack-of/)

[Paolo Gentiloni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-gentiloni/)

> [We are entering a new phase of European politics. What is decisive is not only do we have a single currency area, but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oskar-lafontaine/we-are-entering-a-new-phase-of-european-politics-what-is-decisive-is/)

Oskar Lafontaine

> [In Europe, unlike the States, they have a cultural policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wilson/in-europe-unlike-the-states-they-have-a-cultural-policy/)

[Robert Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wilson/)

> [Europe unified its monetary policy through the euro before it unified politically, therefore sustaining member countries' abilities to pursue the kind of independent fiscal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/europe-unified-its-monetary-policy-through-the-euro-before-it-unified/)

[Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/)

> [Deflation means a slowdown of income growth. Markets shrink, new capital investment and employment also taper off, so wages decline. That is what's happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/deflation-means-a-slowdown-of-income-growth-markets-shrink-new/)

[Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/)

> [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Many people in the United States happen to believe that United States policy is wrong in Vietnam and the Vietcong are correct in wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/many-people-in-the-united-states-happen-to-believe-that-united-states/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

## More by Martha Nussbaum

> [I worked among many famous philosophers, and I tried to observe how they treated students. I knew which ones I wanted to be like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/i-worked-among-many-famous-philosophers-and-i-tried-to-observe-how/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [All of us, whether we are ignorant of philosophy or professors of philosophy, find it easier to follow dogma than to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/all-of-us-whether-we-are-ignorant-of-philosophy-or-professors-of/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [I think Americans did learn that you just are not going to be able to live well if you subordinate people on the grounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/i-think-americans-did-learn-that-you-just-are-not-going-to-be-able-to/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [I wish a person with a record of competence such as Nitish Kumar would get a chance to lead India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/i-wish-a-person-with-a-record-of-competence-such-as-nitish-kumar/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [I wouldn't express anything without being very thoughtful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/i-wouldn-t-express-anything-without-being-very-thoughtful/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [When I was four I joined a group of girls who were talking about their party dresses. I thought they were imagining, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/when-i-was-four-i-joined-a-group-of-girls-who-were-talking-about/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [There were several men who had blazed the trail for talking about emotions in philosophy; otherwise my work would have had even more opposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/there-were-several-men-who-had-blazed-the-trail-for-talking-about/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [Emotions aren't just mindless urges; they contain thoughts about matters of importance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/emotions-aren-t-just-mindless-urges-they-contain-thoughts-about/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [If you've been betrayed by a spouse or a partner, it's much easier to focus on causing that person pain than it is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/if-you-ve-been-betrayed-by-a-spouse-or-a-partner-it-s-much-easier-to/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [People - and I think this is particularly true of Americans - don't like to be passive. They like to seize control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/people-and-i-think-this-is-particularly-true-of-americans-don-t-like/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [Fear and monarchy pair nicely. But democracy means you have to work with people you may not like but you must still believe are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/fear-and-monarchy-pair-nicely-but-democracy-means-you-have-to-work/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [You have to connect your work to what people are doing. A good way is to construct a bridge between theory and practice -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/you-have-to-connect-your-work-to-what-people-are-doing-a-good-way-is/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [You can't have a democracy when people don't learn to put themselves in the shoes of another person, who can't think what their policies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/you-can-t-have-a-democracy-when-people-don-t-learn-to-put-themselves/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [Every time I undress in the locker room of my gym, I see women bearing the scars of liposuction, tummy tucks, breast implants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/every-time-i-undress-in-the-locker-room-of-my-gym-i-see-women-bearing/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

> [The U.S. has always understood itself to be united around political principles and not around culture, whereas the nations of Europe have a much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/the-u-s-has-always-understood-itself-to-be-united-around-political/)

[Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

[Explore all 106 Martha Nussbaum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/)

## More Driving quotes

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I don't own a yacht or a flashy car. I've always had safe cars because I do so much driving. I don't think I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/i-don-t-own-a-yacht-or-a-flashy-car-i-ve-always-had-safe-cars-because/)

[Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/)

> [There are a lot of impractical things about owning a Porsche. But they're all offset by the driving experience. It really is unique. Lamborghinis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/there-are-a-lot-of-impractical-things-about-owning-a-porsche-but-they/)

[Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/)

> [We're focused on providing innovations in software, driving the continuous improvement for a much better experience, and there's a lot going on here that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-re-focused-on-providing-innovations-in-software-driving-the/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [I only started driving lessons because of comedy - before that, there's be no need. There was a bus from where I lived to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-millican/i-only-started-driving-lessons-because-of-comedy-before-that-there-s/)

[Sarah Millican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-millican/)

> [“police cars, but since he was driving”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-cole/police-cars-but-since-he-was-driving/)

[Bobby Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-cole/)

> [“A car is one of the most interesting inventions, but driving is one of the most boring activities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-car-is-one-of-the-most-interesting-inventions-but-driving-is-one-of/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [I love driving my car on any highway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virat-kohli/i-love-driving-my-car-on-any-highway/)

[Virat Kohli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virat-kohli/)

> [Emma was a shocking driver, simultaneously sloppy and petrified, and for the first fifty miles had been absent-mindedly driving with her spectacles on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-was-a-shocking-driver-simultaneously-sloppy-and-petrified-and/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [I'm really looking forward to a time when generations after us look back and say how ridiculous it was that humans were driving cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/i-m-really-looking-forward-to-a-time-when-generations-after-us-look/)

[Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/)

> [Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/americans-will-put-up-with-anything-provided-it-doesn-t-block-traffic/)

[Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/)

> [With our dramas, we have a lot of shows that feature very well-to-do, well-educated people who are driving very nice cars and living in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-dungey/with-our-dramas-we-have-a-lot-of-shows-that-feature-very-well-to-do/)

[Channing Dungey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-dungey/)

> [By measuring the proportion of children living with the same parents from birth and whether their parents report a good quality relationship we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-duncan-smith/by-measuring-the-proportion-of-children-living-with-the-same-parents/)

[Iain Duncan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-duncan-smith/)

> [I didn't pass my driving test till I was 38!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/i-didn-t-pass-my-driving-test-till-i-was-38/)

[Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/)

> [Yeah, I'm the Brit who isn't Lewis Hamilton that woke up and realised he was good. I got that tag because I was young,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenson-button/yeah-i-m-the-brit-who-isn-t-lewis-hamilton-that-woke-up-and-realised/)

[Jenson Button](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenson-button/)

[Browse all 2,780 Driving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driving/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We see unreasoning fear driving a certain amount of public policy, perhaps more in Europe than in the U.S.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martha Nussbaum"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/we-see-unreasoning-fear-driving-a-certain-amount-of-public-policy/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Driving"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/we-see-unreasoning-fear-driving-a-certain-amount-of-public-policy/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/martha-nussbaum-4759_driving_we-see-unreasoning-fear-driving-a-certai_867174.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/martha-nussbaum-4759_driving_we-see-unreasoning-fear-driving-a-certai_867174.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/martha-nussbaum-4759_driving_we-see-unreasoning-fear-driving-a-certai_867174.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We see unreasoning fear driving a certain amount of public policy, perhaps more in Europe than in the U.S.” — Martha Nussbaum",
                "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": "Martha Nussbaum",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We see unreasoning fear driving a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/we-see-unreasoning-fear-driving-a-certain-amount-of-public-policy/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/we-see-unreasoning-fear-driving-a-certain-amount-of-public-policy/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
