--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It…" description: "\"“Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It keeps us alive more often than not. Gives us caution, spares us pain. It can also hold us back. Wisdom comes from..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/s-j-himes-55688_fear_fear-is-nothing-to-be-ashamed-of-it-keep_274335.jpg" --- # Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It keeps us alive more… ![“Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It keeps us alive more often than not. Gives us caution, spares us pain. It can also hold us back. Wisdom comes from knowing the difference between listening to our fear, and when to be brave. And sometimes fear settles in us so deeply, the wounds so raw and…” quote by S.J. Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/s-j-himes-55688_fear_fear-is-nothing-to-be-ashamed-of-it-keep_274335.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/s-j-himes-55688_fear_fear-is-nothing-to-be-ashamed-of-it-keep_274335.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/s-j-himes-55688_fear_fear-is-nothing-to-be-ashamed-of-it-keep_274335.jpg) > ““Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It keeps us alive more often than not. Gives us caution, spares us pain. It can also hold us back. Wisdom comes from knowing the difference between listening to our fear, and when to be brave. And sometimes fear settles in us so deeply, the wounds so raw and horrible, that it never truly leaves. ... My point, young man, is fear is senseless, cruel, and, sometimes, necessary.”” [S.J. Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-himes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear is portrayed as both a protective mechanism and a potential hindrance; wisdom lies in discerning when to heed it and when to act bravely. **In simple terms:** Fear protects but can also hold you back; know when to listen. Key Takeaway Discern when fear is useful versus limiting. Themes courage self‑wisdom growth Mood thoughtful encouraging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career change - public speaking - personal relationships - health decisions Key Concepts risk assessment emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - When has fear protected you? - When has it stopped you from trying? A Different Perspective Fear may be over‑emphasized, leading to avoidance of necessary risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Inspirational life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-life/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It keeps us alive more often than not. Gives us caution, spares us pain. It can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-himes/fear-is-nothing-to-be-ashamed-of-it-keeps-us-alive-more-often-than-2/) [S.J. Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-himes/) > [He had lived a very long time, and only since he gained Anna had he learned to fear. He’d discovered that he had never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/he-had-lived-a-very-long-time-and-only-since-he-gained-anna-had-he/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [We can't be brave without fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/we-can-t-be-brave-without-fear/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I am brave, still with a fear, a fear of what will happen if life would take a long time still…fearful of life, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/i-am-brave-still-with-a-fear-a-fear-of-what-will-happen-if-life-would/) Senoraroy > [“One cannot be brave who has no fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/one-cannot-be-brave-who-has-no-fear/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [Courage comes by being brave; fear comes by holding back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/courage-comes-by-being-brave-fear-comes-by-holding-back/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [It is fear and terror that make all men brave, except the philosophers. Yet it is illogical to be brave through fear and cowardice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/it-is-fear-and-terror-that-make-all-men-brave-except-the-philosophers/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [You cannot be brave without fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mellody-hobson/you-cannot-be-brave-without-fear/) [Mellody Hobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mellody-hobson/) > [A strong person is the one who face fear with a brave but wounded heart, who still smile to his enemy, even if he's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-strong-person-is-the-one-who-face-fear-with-a-brave-but-wounded/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Courage is not the absence of fear but the judgment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear-but-the-judgment-that-something/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [Everybody has fear. The difference is that the coward does not control fear and the brave... gets over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickson-gracie/everybody-has-fear-the-difference-is-that-the-coward-does-not-control/) [Rickson Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickson-gracie/) > [If you fear nothing, then you are not brave. You are merely too foolish to be afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-fear-nothing-then-you-are-not-brave-you-are-merely-too-foolish/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [But in my opinion, bravery isn't about the absence of fear. Being brave is when you're absolutely terrified, yet you can make yourself face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-in-my-opinion-bravery-isn-t-about-the-absence-of-fear-being-brave/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There’s no such thing as needless fear. Without fear, you can’t be brave.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jenkins/there-s-no-such-thing-as-needless-fear-without-fear-you-can-t-be-brave/) Jennifer Jenkins > [Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear; The brave may not live forever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear-but-rather-the-judgement-that/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) ## More by S.J. Himes > [“It felt like fate. That if Gray Shadow and Caius could not find their way to each other, their bloodlines eventually did.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-himes/it-felt-like-fate-that-if-gray-shadow-and-caius-could-not-find-their/) [S.J. Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-himes/) > [“Vampires moved with inhuman grace - the fae moved as if life were a dance, and only they knew the steps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-himes/vampires-moved-with-inhuman-grace-the-fae-moved-as-if-life-were-a/) [S.J. Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-himes/) > [“Gerald smiled down at her, and she relaxed, leaning on them both. “I’m glad I came in for a sandwich,” Gerald whispered, and Royrick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-himes/gerald-smiled-down-at-her-and-she-relaxed-leaning-on-them-both-i-m/) [S.J. Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-himes/) > [“Kane hugged Ghost to him. Ghost clung, pressing his face into Kane’s chest. “Whether you are Luca or Ghost or you choose a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-himes/kane-hugged-ghost-to-him-ghost-clung-pressing-his-face-into-kane-s/) [S.J. Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-himes/) > [“Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It keeps us alive more often than not. Gives us caution, spares us pain. It can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-himes/fear-is-nothing-to-be-ashamed-of-it-keeps-us-alive-more-often-than-2/) [S.J. Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-himes/) [Explore all 6 S.J. Himes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-himes/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“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 > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) [Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It keeps us alive more often than not. Gives us caution, spares us pain. It can also hold us back. Wisdom comes from knowing the difference between listening to our fear, and when to be brave. And sometimes fear settles in us so deeply, the wounds so raw and horrible, that it never truly leaves. ... 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