---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life may be scary But it’s only…"
description: "\"“Life may be scary But it’s only temporary. And this is perhaps the most comforting conclusion to be reached if one discounts the possibility of meanin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/quentin-s-crisp-4149_comfort_life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporar_1498655.jpg"
---

#  Life may be scary But it’s only temporary. And this is…

![“Life may be scary But it’s only temporary. And this is perhaps the most comforting conclusion to be reached if one discounts the possibility of meaning.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/quentin-s-crisp-4149_comfort_life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporar_1498655.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/quentin-s-crisp-4149_comfort_life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporar_1498655.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/quentin-s-crisp-4149_comfort_life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporar_1498655.jpg)

> ““Life may be scary But it’s only temporary. And this is perhaps the most comforting conclusion to be reached if one discounts the possibility of meaning.””

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

## About This Quote

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

Life’s fear is fleeting; meaning may be absent, but that realization can be comforting.

**In simple terms:** Fear is temporary; meaning isn’t required for comfort.

Key Takeaway

Accept uncertainty and find peace.

Themes

existential comfort impermanence

Mood

reflective calm

Type

philosophical contemplative

When to use this quote

- coping with anxiety
- philosophical contemplation
- daily mindset

Key Concepts

nihilism psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- What gives you comfort when meaning feels absent?
- Can temporary fear become a catalyst?

A Different Perspective

Denial of meaning can lead to apathy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfort/) [Comforting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comforting/) [Comforting Conclusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comforting-conclusion-2840486/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Possibility Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility-meaning-5489220/) [Scary Temporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary-temporary-5489219/) [Temporary Comforting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temporary-comforting-3816126/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/)

## Related quotes

> [“Life may be scary But it’s only temporary. And this is perhaps the most comforting conclusion to be reached if one discounts the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporary-and-this-is-perhaps-the/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [We came to the comforting conclusion that the Creator probably knew how to run His universe quite as well as we do, and that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-came-to-the-comforting-conclusion-that-the-creator-probably-knew/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Soeur Marie Emelie" Soeur Marie Emelie is little and very old: her eyes are onyx, and her cheeks vermilion, her apron wide and kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caryll-houselander/soeur-marie-emelie-soeur-marie-emelie-is-little-and-very-old-her-eyes/)

[Caryll Houselander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caryll-houselander/)

> [The search for God is a reversal of the normal, mundane worldly order. In search for God, you revert from what attracts you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-search-for-god-is-a-reversal-of-the-normal-mundane-worldly-order/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [The person in misery does not need a look that judges and criticizes but a comforting presence that brings peace and hope and life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/the-person-in-misery-does-not-need-a-look-that-judges-and-criticizes/)

[Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/)

> [The upshot here is that Gil Scott-Heron is still a warrior, even if the front lines have moved. He's made a record not without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hermes/the-upshot-here-is-that-gil-scott-heron-is-still-a-warrior-even-if/)

[Will Hermes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hermes/)

> [I've been sent down to the minor leagues six or seven times in my career. You've just got to have that stability. It's huge.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-diaz/i-ve-been-sent-down-to-the-minor-leagues-six-or-seven-times-in-my/)

[Matt Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-diaz/)

> [Truth is often uncomfortable. It is only comforting to those who do not wish to ignore it. Then, truth becomes not only comforting, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/truth-is-often-uncomfortable-it-is-only-comforting-to-those-who-do/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [At first, I had such stage fright, and it was always comforting to look over and see my big brother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-spielberg/at-first-i-had-such-stage-fright-and-it-was-always-comforting-to-look/)

[Sasha Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-spielberg/)

> [Euthanasia" is an excellent and comforting word! I am grateful to whoever invented it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/euthanasia-is-an-excellent-and-comforting-word-i-am-grateful-to/)

[Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/)

> [“Reth reached out and took my fingers in his own, his touch light but comforting. “I’ve found that sacrifice is called that for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/reth-reached-out-and-took-my-fingers-in-his-own-his-touch-light-but/)

[Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/)

> [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/)

> [“Because the truth wouldn't be comforting and wouldn't bring them closer again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/because-the-truth-wouldn-t-be-comforting-and-wouldn-t-bring-them/)

[Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/)

> [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/)

[Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/)

> [“When you get lost in a really strange place, nothing is more comforting than found your friend whom you trust and can show the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-get-lost-in-a-really-strange-place-nothing-is-more/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

## More by Quentin S. Crisp

> [I have a sense of them being Easter religions, for some reason. Christianity, of course, is a mystery religion, too, and I believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-have-a-sense-of-them-being-easter-religions-for-some-reason/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [ If we do want to do that \[ colonise space to survive, \], then vacuous materialism is not going to be enough for us. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/if-we-do-want-to-do-that-colonise-space-to-survive-then-vacuous/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [I seemed to recall some words from an old Zen master, something like, "My Zen cuts down mountains." My rejection of Buddhism was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-seemed-to-recall-some-words-from-an-old-zen-master-something-like/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [ This is the strange thing about existing in time. As \[Philip\] Larkin puts it, "truly, though our element is time, we are not used… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/this-is-the-strange-thing-about-existing-in-time-as-philip-larkin/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [I've never been baptised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-ve-never-been-baptised/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [It would be hard to say that exactly, but antinatalism is a reality in my life, not just an interesting idea. I can feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/it-would-be-hard-to-say-that-exactly-but-antinatalism-is-a-reality-in/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [ \[william\] Burroughs, incidentally, took up the slogan that we are "Here to go", which contradicts the tendency in Eastern mysticism to advocate staying where… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/william-burroughs-incidentally-took-up-the-slogan-that-we-are-here-to/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [As children in the seventies we were told about nebulous 'strangers'. By definition, we didn't know who these strangers were, and we didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/as-children-in-the-seventies-we-were-told-about-nebulous-strangers-by/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [This is part of the fundamental character of Buddhism that I find problematic - that it is not interested in anything. Hence the 'Fascination'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/this-is-part-of-the-fundamental-character-of-buddhism-that-i-find/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [ I also remember a line from a song by Smog \[Bill Callahan\], which seems to describe the experience of a town-dweller moving to the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-also-remember-a-line-from-a-song-by-smog-bill-callahan-which-seems/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [This strong sense of who I am that I've always had, since I was very young, is what makes me write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/this-strong-sense-of-who-i-am-that-i-ve-always-had-since-i-was-very/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [I like the concept of an anti-muse, though I'm not quite sure what that is. If there is such a thing in my life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-like-the-concept-of-an-anti-muse-though-i-m-not-quite-sure-what/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [ I really think \[William\] Burroughs was onto something here, when he said, "Dreams are a biologic necessity and your lifeline into space." ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-really-think-william-burroughs-was-onto-something-here-when-he-said/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [ \[My muse\] is, in fact, a woman of the world, and precisely because of this, hopes that a diversity of cultures will endure, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/my-muse-is-in-fact-a-woman-of-the-world-and-precisely-because-of-this/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [I do have a muse. I am not sure how to describe her. She can be very elusive. She was born in England but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-do-have-a-muse-i-am-not-sure-how-to-describe-her-she-can-be-very/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

[Explore all 115 Quentin S. Crisp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

## More Comfort quotes

> [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/)

[Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/)

> [For many, the call to be a Christian can seem demanding, even overwhelming. But we need not be afraid or feel inadequate. The Savior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-hales/for-many-the-call-to-be-a-christian-can-seem-demanding-even/)

[Robert D. Hales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-hales/)

> [This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/this-is-no-time-for-ease-and-comfort-it-is-time-to-dare-and-endure/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/)

[Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/)

> [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [“When you get lost in a really strange place, nothing is more comforting than found your friend whom you trust and can show the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-get-lost-in-a-really-strange-place-nothing-is-more/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [Comfort food is really anything you want at that time. That said, I really love Naple-style pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/comfort-food-is-really-anything-you-want-at-that-time-that-said-i/)

[Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/)

> [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/)

[Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/)

> [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/)

[Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/)

> [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/)

[Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/)

> [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/)

[John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/)

> [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/)

[L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/)

> [Maybe that was why she couldn't cry, she realized, staring dry-eyed at the ceiling. Because what was the point in crying when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/maybe-that-was-why-she-couldn-t-cry-she-realized-staring-dry-eyed-at/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [I think that comfort is underrated in a lot of ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/i-think-that-comfort-is-underrated-in-a-lot-of-ways/)

[Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/)

[Browse all 4,542 Comfort quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfort/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Life may be scary But it’s only temporary. And this is perhaps the most comforting conclusion to be reached if one discounts the possibility of meaning.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Quentin S. Crisp"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporary-and-this-is-perhaps-the-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Comfort"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporary-and-this-is-perhaps-the-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/quentin-s-crisp-4149_comfort_life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporar_1498655.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/quentin-s-crisp-4149_comfort_life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporar_1498655.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/quentin-s-crisp-4149_comfort_life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporar_1498655.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Life may be scary But it’s only temporary. And this is perhaps the most comforting conclusion to be reached…” — Quentin S. Crisp",
                "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": "Quentin S. Crisp",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Life may be scary But it’s...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporary-and-this-is-perhaps-the-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/life-may-be-scary-but-it-s-only-temporary-and-this-is-perhaps-the-2/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
