--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A tightrope walker uncertain if he could…" description: "\"“A tightrope walker uncertain if he could make it to the other side probably would not. A race car driver wondering if he was taking a turn too fast wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/roy-l-pickering-jr-33325_african-american_a-tightrope-walker-uncertain-if-he-could_288360.jpg" --- # A tightrope walker uncertain if he could make it to the… ![“A tightrope walker uncertain if he could make it to the other side probably would not. A race car driver wondering if he was taking a turn too fast was likely to lose control. If a man feared death, whether his own or the taking of another's, death would surely come calling.” quote by Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/roy-l-pickering-jr-33325_african-american_a-tightrope-walker-uncertain-if-he-could_288360.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/roy-l-pickering-jr-33325_african-american_a-tightrope-walker-uncertain-if-he-could_288360.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/roy-l-pickering-jr-33325_african-american_a-tightrope-walker-uncertain-if-he-could_288360.jpg) > ““A tightrope walker uncertain if he could make it to the other side probably would not. A race car driver wondering if he was taking a turn too fast was likely to lose control. If a man feared death, whether his own or the taking of another's, death would surely come calling.”” [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear and doubt paralyze action, leading to failure or misfortune. **In simple terms:** Fear stops action and invites the very outcome feared. Key Takeaway Confront fear to prevent it from dictating results. Themes fear paralysis confidence risk mortality Mood anxious reflective Type cautionary motivational When to use this quote - making decisions under pressure - public speaking - driving - combat - medical emergencies Key Concepts psychology self‑fulfilling prophecy cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape your choices? - What steps can you take to act despite fear? A Different Perspective If fear is managed, the predicted negative outcome may be avoided. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [African american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-american/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Patches-of-grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patches-of-grey/) [Race car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-car/) [Race car driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-car-driver/) [Roy-pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roy-pickering/) ## Related quotes > [“When he spoke of love, it was in the manner of someone who can recite a phrase in a foreign language but has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/when-he-spoke-of-love-it-was-in-the-manner-of-someone-who-can-recite/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“Tony's concern disintegrated. He could not understand C.J.'s determination to court death on a daily basis. Or maybe he did understand, and this was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/tony-s-concern-disintegrated-he-could-not-understand-c-j-s/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“It was just a word. It took nothing from him. It made him feel only as low as he allowed himself to feel. His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/it-was-just-a-word-it-took-nothing-from-him-it-made-him-feel-only-as/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“She had a pretty good idea what Tony was seeking. He couldn't look at her without seeing her mother, and father, and brother. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/she-had-a-pretty-good-idea-what-tony-was-seeking-he-couldn-t-look-at/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“On occasion we stumble upon what seems to be a truth. Compared to the surrounding blackness, it sparkles and dazzles our eyes. But are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/on-occasion-we-stumble-upon-what-seems-to-be-a-truth-compared-to-the/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“Time had taught him that whether his sins were pardoned or left unforgiven, they would remain committed. Tomorrow he would hopefully choose wiser, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/time-had-taught-him-that-whether-his-sins-were-pardoned-or-left/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“He now realized that right and wrong were intertwined notions. His arms could not differentiate between just and unjust causes. They only knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/he-now-realized-that-right-and-wrong-were-intertwined-notions-his/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“There were many tomorrows to be lived through his children. He could only hope that they would face them more courageously than he had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/there-were-many-tomorrows-to-be-lived-through-his-children-he-could/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“It was his experience that life worked under the same guidelines as a capitalistic society. In order to get what you wanted, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/it-was-his-experience-that-life-worked-under-the-same-guidelines-as-a/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“Was love ever easy for anyone? If less complicated, would this make it less appreciated? Perhaps love was difficult for good reason. Perhaps everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/was-love-ever-easy-for-anyone-if-less-complicated-would-this-make-it/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“C.J. had once believed that he understood who he was, what he was about, what he was capable of. But when the moment came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/c-j-had-once-believed-that-he-understood-who-he-was-what-he-was-about/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [A MAN FEARED A man feared that he might find an assassin; Another that he might find a victim. One was more wise than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/a-man-feared-a-man-feared-that-he-might-find-an-assassin-another-that/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [What each man feared would happen to himself, did not trouble him when he saw that it would ruin another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil/what-each-man-feared-would-happen-to-himself-did-not-trouble-him-when/) [Virgil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil/) > [The silence of a treacherous man is to be feared even more than his words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greek-proverb/the-silence-of-a-treacherous-man-is-to-be-feared-even-more-than-his/) Greek Proverb > [“A man feared that he might find an assassin; Another that he might find a victim. One was more wise than the other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/a-man-feared-that-he-might-find-an-assassin-another-that-he-might/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) ## More by Roy L. Pickering Jr > [“Life, like love, holds many secrets for us to discover. Some we unearth early on. Others take us most of our days to stumble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/life-like-love-holds-many-secrets-for-us-to-discover-some-we-unearth/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“When he spoke of love, it was in the manner of someone who can recite a phrase in a foreign language but has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/when-he-spoke-of-love-it-was-in-the-manner-of-someone-who-can-recite/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“It was his experience that life worked under the same guidelines as a capitalistic society. In order to get what you wanted, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/it-was-his-experience-that-life-worked-under-the-same-guidelines-as-a/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“There were many tomorrows to be lived through his children. He could only hope that they would face them more courageously than he had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/there-were-many-tomorrows-to-be-lived-through-his-children-he-could/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“He now realized that right and wrong were intertwined notions. His arms could not differentiate between just and unjust causes. They only knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/he-now-realized-that-right-and-wrong-were-intertwined-notions-his/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“Time had taught him that whether his sins were pardoned or left unforgiven, they would remain committed. Tomorrow he would hopefully choose wiser, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/time-had-taught-him-that-whether-his-sins-were-pardoned-or-left/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“On occasion we stumble upon what seems to be a truth. Compared to the surrounding blackness, it sparkles and dazzles our eyes. But are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/on-occasion-we-stumble-upon-what-seems-to-be-a-truth-compared-to-the/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“She had a pretty good idea what Tony was seeking. He couldn't look at her without seeing her mother, and father, and brother. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/she-had-a-pretty-good-idea-what-tony-was-seeking-he-couldn-t-look-at/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“It was just a word. It took nothing from him. It made him feel only as low as he allowed himself to feel. His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/it-was-just-a-word-it-took-nothing-from-him-it-made-him-feel-only-as/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“C.J. had once believed that he understood who he was, what he was about, what he was capable of. But when the moment came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/c-j-had-once-believed-that-he-understood-who-he-was-what-he-was-about/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“My travels have been numerous, though no topographer could chart the shores I have landed upon. For it is not places that have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/my-travels-have-been-numerous-though-no-topographer-could-chart-the/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“Tony's concern disintegrated. He could not understand C.J.'s determination to court death on a daily basis. Or maybe he did understand, and this was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/tony-s-concern-disintegrated-he-could-not-understand-c-j-s/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“My talent is looking into a woman's eyes and instinctively knowing what I need to. If she's lonely or bored; neglected or abused; timid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/my-talent-is-looking-into-a-woman-s-eyes-and-instinctively-knowing/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) > [“Was love ever easy for anyone? If less complicated, would this make it less appreciated? Perhaps love was difficult for good reason. Perhaps everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-l-pickering-jr/was-love-ever-easy-for-anyone-if-less-complicated-would-this-make-it/) [Roy L. Pickering Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) [Explore all 15 Roy L. Pickering Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-l-pickering-jr/) ## More African american quotes > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. 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I am here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/some-republicans-gave-up-on-winning-the-african-american-vote-looking/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) > [It's unfortunate that a lot of people think African-American female artists are monolithically R&B this-or-that, don't have to do anything by default.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/it-s-unfortunate-that-a-lot-of-people-think-african-american-female/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [It may be changing, but still it's the one place, that total control of an institution, that African Americans have. So sometimes, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/it-may-be-changing-but-still-it-s-the-one-place-that-total-control-of/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [Most of the more celebrated names among African-American authors, poets, and artists are known to the world because of their association with specific cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/most-of-the-more-celebrated-names-among-african-american-authors/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [I think it's easier for African American and white comics to be praised than it is Latinos because they think our culture or our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lopez/i-think-it-s-easier-for-african-american-and-white-comics-to-be/) [George Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lopez/) > [“Alabama in 1927 alone, 27,701 men were arrested on misdemeanor charges and offered for sale by county sheriffs. 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