--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Use anxiety to follow your thoughts as a…" description: "\"“Use anxiety to follow your thoughts as a guide to see where it leads you.”\" — Peter Boghossian" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/peter-boghossian-15209_anxiety_use-anxiety-to-follow-your-thoughts-as-a_60001.jpg" --- # Use anxiety to follow your thoughts as a guide to see… ![“Use anxiety to follow your thoughts as a guide to see where it leads you.” quote by Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/peter-boghossian-15209_anxiety_use-anxiety-to-follow-your-thoughts-as-a_60001.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/peter-boghossian-15209_anxiety_use-anxiety-to-follow-your-thoughts-as-a_60001.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/peter-boghossian-15209_anxiety_use-anxiety-to-follow-your-thoughts-as-a_60001.jpg) > ““Use anxiety to follow your thoughts as a guide to see where it leads you.”” [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Anxiety signals underlying concerns; tracing its source reveals hidden beliefs and patterns that shape behavior. **In simple terms:** Anxiety reveals hidden mental pathways. Key Takeaway Use discomfort as a diagnostic tool. Themes self-awareness emotional intelligence cognitive exploration personal growth Mood curious introspective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - journaling - therapy sessions - decision making - creative brainstorming Key Concepts anxiety thought patterns self-reflection beliefs Practical Applications - psychotherapy - coaching Questions to Reflect On - What does my anxiety point to? - How can I act on insights from discomfort? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts/) ## Related quotes > [You can't use anxiety to deal with your anxiety it only makes you more anxious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-crawford/you-can-t-use-anxiety-to-deal-with-your-anxiety-it-only-makes-you/) [Bill Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-crawford/) > [I have to follow my thoughts and mine for the gold. I have to dig it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/i-have-to-follow-my-thoughts-and-mine-for-the-gold-i-have-to-dig-it/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [“When you follow your thoughts you follow a ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-mccoy/when-you-follow-your-thoughts-you-follow-a-ghost/) [Bert McCoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-mccoy/) > [Your soul must hold fast to Him, you must follow after Him in your thoughts, you must tread His ways by faith, not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose/your-soul-must-hold-fast-to-him-you-must-follow-after-him-in-your/) [Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose/) > [Man is not permitted without censure to follow his own thoughts in the search of truth, when they lead him ever so little out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/man-is-not-permitted-without-censure-to-follow-his-own-thoughts-in/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [When you follow your thoughts and watch them attach to certain things, it makes certain things real and other things unreal, and you realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/when-you-follow-your-thoughts-and-watch-them-attach-to-certain-things/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [There is nothing wrong with thought and it can be used whenever necessary. But in every moment you can choose to follow your thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-thought-and-it-can-be-used-whenever/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [Learn to think for yourself, for your destiny cannot be found unless you follow your own thoughts to wherever they take you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learn-to-think-for-yourself-for-your-destiny-cannot-be-found-unless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ “\[M\]an is not permitted without censure to follow his own thoughts in the search of truth, when they lead him ever so little out… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/m-an-is-not-permitted-without-censure-to-follow-his-own-thoughts-in/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [“Sometimes, I get pulled under the current, a wave of anxious thought flooding my mind. But, somehow, you help me find the surface. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-newman/sometimes-i-get-pulled-under-the-current-a-wave-of-anxious-thought/) [Liz Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-newman/) > [The truth is that there is no actual stress or anxiety in the world; it's your thoughts that create these false beliefs. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/the-truth-is-that-there-is-no-actual-stress-or-anxiety-in-the-world/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“He who is mindless is defenceless” RjS”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/he-who-is-mindless-is-defenceless-rjs/) [rassool jibraeel snyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [“I urge you: don't cut short these thought-trains of yours. Follow them through to their end. Your thoughts and your feelings. Follow them through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/i-urge-you-don-t-cut-short-these-thought-trains-of-yours-follow-them/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) ## More by Peter Boghossian > [“Socrates said that a man doesn’t want what he doesn’t think he lacks. That is, if you believe you have the truth then why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/socrates-said-that-a-man-doesn-t-want-what-he-doesn-t-think-he-lacks/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [“Liberalism is a creation of the seventeenth century, fathered by British philosopher John Locke (1632–1704). For Locke, liberalism means limited government, the rule of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/liberalism-is-a-creation-of-the-seventeenth-century-fathered-by/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [Christians claim that life has no meaning if you stop pretending to know things you don't know, though they phrase it more tersely as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/christians-claim-that-life-has-no-meaning-if-you-stop-pretending-to/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [“The sins of the fathers are to be born by their children’s children’s children? What sort of justice is that? This goes against half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/the-sins-of-the-fathers-are-to-be-born-by-their-children-s-children-s/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [“Faith has fallen. What goes in its place? Wonder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/faith-has-fallen-what-goes-in-its-place-wonder/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [“Faith taints or at worst removes our curiosity about the world, what we should value, and what type of life we should lead. Faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/faith-taints-or-at-worst-removes-our-curiosity-about-the-world-what/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [When one has a crisis of faith it means one is struck by the realisation than one has been pretending know things that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/when-one-has-a-crisis-of-faith-it-means-one-is-struck-by-the/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [Faith: Pretending to know things you don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/faith-pretending-to-know-things-you-don-t-know/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [“Pat Tillman (for abandoning an incredibly promising football career to give his life for his country).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/pat-tillman-for-abandoning-an-incredibly-promising-football-career-to/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [Faith is the problem. Faith is unreliable way to think about problems that will not lead to the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/faith-is-the-problem-faith-is-unreliable-way-to-think-about-problems/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [“You will transform a broken world long ruled by unquestioned faith into a society built on reason, evidence, and thought-out positions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/you-will-transform-a-broken-world-long-ruled-by-unquestioned-faith/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [“Harris, Dawkins, Dennett, and Hitchens”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/harris-dawkins-dennett-and-hitchens/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [“You cannot know the future, so take action. Don't wait for things to happen. Don't pray. Don't have faith. Don't rely upon imagined entities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/you-cannot-know-the-future-so-take-action-don-t-wait-for-things-to/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [“Your religious beliefs typically depend on the community in which you were raised or live. The spiritual experiences of people in ancient Greece, medieval…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/your-religious-beliefs-typically-depend-on-the-community-in-which-you/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) > [“Certainty is an enemy of truth: examination and reexamination are allies of truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/certainty-is-an-enemy-of-truth-examination-and-reexamination-are/) [Peter Boghossian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) [Explore all 41 Peter Boghossian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/) ## More Anxiety quotes > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I get nervous when I don't get nervous. If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [“I guess if we're talking about my anxiety, the even truthier truth is it started way before that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/i-guess-if-we-re-talking-about-my-anxiety-the-even-truthier-truth-is/) [Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-walker/as-you-know-i-have-been-very-open-about-my-struggle-with-social/) [Summer Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-walker/) > [Anxiety is not to be managed it is a sin that needs to be repented of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/anxiety-is-not-to-be-managed-it-is-a-sin-that-needs-to-be-repented-of/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) [Browse all 4,944 Anxiety quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Use anxiety to follow your thoughts as a guide to see where it leads you.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Boghossian" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/use-anxiety-to-follow-your-thoughts-as-a-guide-to-see-where-it-leads/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anxiety" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/use-anxiety-to-follow-your-thoughts-as-a-guide-to-see-where-it-leads/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/peter-boghossian-15209_anxiety_use-anxiety-to-follow-your-thoughts-as-a_60001.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/peter-boghossian-15209_anxiety_use-anxiety-to-follow-your-thoughts-as-a_60001.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/peter-boghossian-15209_anxiety_use-anxiety-to-follow-your-thoughts-as-a_60001.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Use anxiety to follow your thoughts as a guide to see where it leads you.” — Peter Boghossian", "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": "Peter Boghossian", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boghossian/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Use anxiety to follow your thoughts...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/use-anxiety-to-follow-your-thoughts-as-a-guide-to-see-where-it-leads/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boghossian/use-anxiety-to-follow-your-thoughts-as-a-guide-to-see-where-it-leads/#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 } } ] } ```