--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Chronic anxiety is a state more…" description: "\"“Chronic anxiety is a state more undesirable than any other, and we will try almost any maneuver to eliminate it. Modern man is living in anxious antic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/robert-e-neale-58692_anxiety_chronic-anxiety-is-a-state-more-undesira_652584.jpg" --- # Chronic anxiety is a state more undesirable than any… ![“Chronic anxiety is a state more undesirable than any other, and we will try almost any maneuver to eliminate it. Modern man is living in anxious anticipation of destruction. Such anxiety can be easily eliminated by self-destruction. As a German saying puts it: 'Better an end with terror than a…” quote by Robert E. Neale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/robert-e-neale-58692_anxiety_chronic-anxiety-is-a-state-more-undesira_652584.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/robert-e-neale-58692_anxiety_chronic-anxiety-is-a-state-more-undesira_652584.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/robert-e-neale-58692_anxiety_chronic-anxiety-is-a-state-more-undesira_652584.jpg) > ““Chronic anxiety is a state more undesirable than any other, and we will try almost any maneuver to eliminate it. Modern man is living in anxious anticipation of destruction. Such anxiety can be easily eliminated by self-destruction. As a German saying puts it: 'Better an end with terror than a terror without end.”” [Robert E. Neale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-neale/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Anxiety dominates modern life and people seek extreme solutions, even self-destruction, to escape perpetual fear. **In simple terms:** Anxiety is pervasive and people look for drastic ways to end it. Key Takeaway Recognize anxiety, seek healthy coping, not self-harm. Themes anxiety modern life coping despair Mood anxious reflective Type philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - personal crisis - mental health treatment - stress management - philosophical reflection Key Concepts existential dread self-destruction German proverb Questions to Reflect On - What healthier strategies can replace self-destruction? - How does the proverb reflect our fear of endless dread? A Different Perspective Anxiety may be reduced but never fully eliminated; extreme measures are harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Anxiety Easily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety-easily-980050/) [Anxiety State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety-state-2229896/) [Chronic Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chronic-anxiety-452075/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Destruction Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction-anxiety-5215443/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Living Anxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-anxious-5215442/) [Modern man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-man/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) ## Related quotes > [Is any novelist going to recognize the moment when he or she has nothing more to say? 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These are not the worried well but those in severe mental pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polly-toynbee/one-in-six-people-suffer-depression-or-a-chronic-anxiety-disorder/) [Polly Toynbee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polly-toynbee/) > [“You can use your intelligence to fuel chronic anxiety and self-criticism, or you can use it to understand yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/you-can-use-your-intelligence-to-fuel-chronic-anxiety-and-self/) [Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/) > [I was born with a chronic anxiety about the weather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/i-was-born-with-a-chronic-anxiety-about-the-weather/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [“Rather than humanizing technology, modern man prefers to technify man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/rather-than-humanizing-technology-modern-man-prefers-to-technify-man/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [I am actually a perfectly capable modern man who can cook, clean, wash, and find my way to places, but nobody believes it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-am-actually-a-perfectly-capable-modern-man-who-can-cook-clean-wash/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [“Modern man’s misfortune lies not in having to live a mediocre life, but in believing that he could live one that is not mediocre.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/modern-man-s-misfortune-lies-not-in-having-to-live-a-mediocre-life/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“The mass of men have been forced to be gay about the little things, but sad about the big ones. Nevertheless (I offer my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-mass-of-men-have-been-forced-to-be-gay-about-the-little-things/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [A 'modern' man has nothing to add to modernism, if only because he has nothing to oppose it with. The well-adapted drop off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/a-modern-man-has-nothing-to-add-to-modernism-if-only-because-he-has/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) ## More by Robert E. Neale > [“Psychologists have clinically observed that overly prolonged grief in the bereaved usually signifies a poor relationship with the one who died.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-neale/psychologists-have-clinically-observed-that-overly-prolonged-grief-in/) [Robert E. Neale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-neale/) > [“Those who are afraid of what comes after death because it is unknown may tend to be those who cannot face the unknown in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-neale/those-who-are-afraid-of-what-comes-after-death-because-it-is-unknown/) [Robert E. Neale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-neale/) > [“The suicide passes a judgment. Society does not care to examine the judgment, but in defense of itself as is, condemns the suicide.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-neale/the-suicide-passes-a-judgment-society-does-not-care-to-examine-the/) [Robert E. Neale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-neale/) > [“Suicide is an attack on society--an attack on its omnipotence, on its denial of death, and on its own despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-neale/suicide-is-an-attack-on-society-an-attack-on-its-omnipotence-on-its/) [Robert E. Neale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-neale/) [Explore all 5 Robert E. Neale quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-neale/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. 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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": "“Chronic anxiety is a state more undesirable than any other, and we will try almost any maneuver to eliminate it. 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