--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People, even children, aren't really…" description: "\"People, even children, aren't really afraid of change. They're afraid of not being prepared for change.\" — Paul Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/paul-smith-10839_afraid-of-change_people-even-children-aren-t-really-afrai_1125455.png" --- # People, even children, aren't really afraid of change… ![“People, even children, aren't really afraid of change. They're afraid of not being prepared for change.” quote by Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/paul-smith-10839_afraid-of-change_people-even-children-aren-t-really-afrai_1125455.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/paul-smith-10839_afraid-of-change_people-even-children-aren-t-really-afrai_1125455.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/paul-smith-10839_afraid-of-change_people-even-children-aren-t-really-afrai_1125455.png) > “People, even children, aren't really afraid of change. They're afraid of not being prepared for change.” [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People fear being unprepared for change more than change itself, especially children. **In simple terms:** Fear of unpreparedness drives anxiety about change. Key Takeaway Prepare and adapt proactively. Themes fear change preparation Mood reflective encouraging Type self‑help motivational When to use this quote - school transitions - career shifts - technology adoption - personal development Key Concepts psychology of anxiety growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to feel ready for change? - How does preparation affect confidence? A Different Perspective Preparation may not eliminate all fear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid of change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-of-change/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [“Margo, they're afraid of us. They're afraid of everything.' And then I kept on talking without really thinking, until it turned into a chant:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/margo-they-re-afraid-of-us-they-re-afraid-of-everything-and-then-i/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [People are afraid of change, afraid of being different, afraid of doing things and thinking things that aren't a part of their checkerboard game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-are-afraid-of-change-afraid-of-being-different-afraid-of-doing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [They're afraid of change, and we must change. They're afraid of the young, and we are the young. They're afraid of music, and music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/they-re-afraid-of-change-and-we-must-change-they-re-afraid-of-the/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Taurus are afraid of change, and afraid of letting things go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/taurus-are-afraid-of-change-and-afraid-of-letting-things-go/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The majority of people have successfully alienated themselves from change; they tediously arrange their lives into a familiar pattern, they give themselves to normalcy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/the-majority-of-people-have-successfully-alienated-themselves-from/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [As much as people say they love change, they love it when you change - not when you want them to change. Even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/safra-a-catz/as-much-as-people-say-they-love-change-they-love-it-when-you-change/) [Safra A. Catz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/safra-a-catz/) > [“What if I told you 10 years from now your life would be exactly the same? Doubt you'd be happy. So, why are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-salmansohn/what-if-i-told-you-10-years-from-now-your-life-would-be-exactly-the/) [Karen Salmansohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-salmansohn/) > [As much as we pretend otherwise, we want what's comfortable, and we're afraid of the different. We're afraid of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/as-much-as-we-pretend-otherwise-we-want-what-s-comfortable-and-we-re/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [You can't be afraid of change, especially if it's for the better, for your own advancement..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-be-afraid-of-change-especially-if-it-s-for-the-better-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most people are afraid of change. But if you look at it as something you can always count on, then it can be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/most-people-are-afraid-of-change-but-if-you-look-at-it-as-something/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [It's kind of depressing when you hear the anti-science rhetoric in America, but I think that people are just afraid of change, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-silva/it-s-kind-of-depressing-when-you-hear-the-anti-science-rhetoric-in/) [Jason Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-silva/) > [“They think the government shows people everything —how to work, study, eat, sleep and that’s it. They are afraid of change. They do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-krotov/they-think-the-government-shows-people-everything-how-to-work-study/) Anton Krotov > [Ignorance is always afraid of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/ignorance-is-always-afraid-of-change/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [We can't be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c-2/we-can-t-be-afraid-of-change-you-may-feel-very-secure-in-the-pond/) [C JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c-2/) > [Don't be afraid of change. you may lose something good, but you may gain something even better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-be-afraid-of-change-you-may-lose-something-good-but-you-may/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Paul Smith > [I became a bit of a teacher's pet, and it became known in the school by both faculty and students that I really excelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-became-a-bit-of-a-teacher-s-pet-and-it-became-known-in-the-school/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [I've always been a keen cyclist, I'm very close to the world of cycling. Not just cycling really - also walking, adventures, being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-ve-always-been-a-keen-cyclist-i-m-very-close-to-the-world-of/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [I learned from books that I picked up. That was something that just came out of nowhere but continued to be an attraction. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-learned-from-books-that-i-picked-up-that-was-something-that-just/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [At the end of the elementary program, I then had to move onto high school. Simultaneously, my parents moved to Attica to a suburban…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/at-the-end-of-the-elementary-program-i-then-had-to-move-onto-high/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [You can find inspiration in everything. If you can't, then you're not looking properly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/you-can-find-inspiration-in-everything-if-you-can-t-then-you-re-not/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [I think I was really naïve. I had no context to think about what I wanted to do. Each step was a next stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-think-i-was-really-na-ve-i-had-no-context-to-think-about-what-i/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [One association with the arts that I vividly remember was a magazine called Normal Instructor, a teachers' magazine, that Miss George would hold up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/one-association-with-the-arts-that-i-vividly-remember-was-a-magazine/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [ The class situation \[at Art Institute on Elmwood Avenue\] was such that one would be very much on their own to paint or draw.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/the-class-situation-at-art-institute-on-elmwood-avenue-was-such-that/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [Fortunately, I had cousins who lived in Buffalo and would often go to visit them, which I loved to do because I liked Buffalo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/fortunately-i-had-cousins-who-lived-in-buffalo-and-would-often-go-to/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [I was painting furniture, learning to stencil, and explore all kinds of traditional techniques of decoration. I learned from books that I picked up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-was-painting-furniture-learning-to-stencil-and-explore-all-kinds-of/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [At one point I had dreams of being in the school band, but I didn't play an instrument that qualified me, and that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/at-one-point-i-had-dreams-of-being-in-the-school-band-but-i-didn-t/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [When life closes a door, God opens a window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/when-life-closes-a-door-god-opens-a-window/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [My parents never prevented me from doing anything, but they didn't have the knowledge of the arts that Mrs. Ranger had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/my-parents-never-prevented-me-from-doing-anything-but-they-didn-t/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [Being born in '31 was during the Depression and in my earlier youth World War II took place - so it was not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/being-born-in-31-was-during-the-depression-and-in-my-earlier-youth/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [In a social studies class I did a paper on the history of Attica, which ended up being a little book that I created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/in-a-social-studies-class-i-did-a-paper-on-the-history-of-attica/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) [Explore all 63 Paul Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) ## More Afraid of change quotes > [Don't be afraid of change. you may lose something good, but you may gain something even better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-be-afraid-of-change-you-may-lose-something-good-but-you-may/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We can't be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c-2/we-can-t-be-afraid-of-change-you-may-feel-very-secure-in-the-pond/) [C JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c-2/) > [Habit is necessary. It is the habit of having habits, of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly fought against if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/habit-is-necessary-it-is-the-habit-of-having-habits-of-turning-a/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [Ignorance is always afraid of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/ignorance-is-always-afraid-of-change/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [Cherish every second never let a day go by without self-improvement, also never be afraid of change, your whole life will pass you by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tonyg/cherish-every-second-never-let-a-day-go-by-without-self-improvement/) [Tonyg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tonyg/) > [One can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-can-remain-alive-long-past-the-usual-date-of-disintegration-if/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“They think the government shows people everything —how to work, study, eat, sleep and that’s it. They are afraid of change. They do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-krotov/they-think-the-government-shows-people-everything-how-to-work-study/) Anton Krotov > [It's kind of depressing when you hear the anti-science rhetoric in America, but I think that people are just afraid of change, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-silva/it-s-kind-of-depressing-when-you-hear-the-anti-science-rhetoric-in/) [Jason Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-silva/) > [Most people are afraid of change. But if you look at it as something you can always count on, then it can be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/most-people-are-afraid-of-change-but-if-you-look-at-it-as-something/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [You can't be afraid of change, especially if it's for the better, for your own advancement..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-be-afraid-of-change-especially-if-it-s-for-the-better-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As much as we pretend otherwise, we want what's comfortable, and we're afraid of the different. We're afraid of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/as-much-as-we-pretend-otherwise-we-want-what-s-comfortable-and-we-re/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [“What if I told you 10 years from now your life would be exactly the same? Doubt you'd be happy. So, why are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-salmansohn/what-if-i-told-you-10-years-from-now-your-life-would-be-exactly-the/) [Karen Salmansohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-salmansohn/) > [As much as people say they love change, they love it when you change - not when you want them to change. Even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/safra-a-catz/as-much-as-people-say-they-love-change-they-love-it-when-you-change/) [Safra A. Catz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/safra-a-catz/) > [“Don't be afraid of change. You may lose something good, but you will gain something better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-camilleri/don-t-be-afraid-of-change-you-may-lose-something-good-but-you-will/) Josef Camilleri > [It's simple-minded people like that, the ones that are afraid of change, they use everything in their power to defend what they stand up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bubba-wallace/it-s-simple-minded-people-like-that-the-ones-that-are-afraid-of/) [Bubba Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bubba-wallace/) [Browse all 94 Afraid of change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-of-change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People, even children, aren't really afraid of change. They're afraid of not being prepared for change.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/people-even-children-aren-t-really-afraid-of-change-they-re-afraid-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afraid of change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/people-even-children-aren-t-really-afraid-of-change-they-re-afraid-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/paul-smith-10839_afraid-of-change_people-even-children-aren-t-really-afrai_1125455.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/paul-smith-10839_afraid-of-change_people-even-children-aren-t-really-afrai_1125455.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/paul-smith-10839_afraid-of-change_people-even-children-aren-t-really-afrai_1125455.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People, even children, aren't really afraid of change. They're afraid of not being prepared for change.” — Paul Smith", "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": "Paul Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People, even children, aren't really afraid...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/people-even-children-aren-t-really-afraid-of-change-they-re-afraid-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/people-even-children-aren-t-really-afraid-of-change-they-re-afraid-of/#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 } } ] } ```