--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What everyone is always afraid of is the…" description: "\"What everyone is always afraid of is the unknown, or the unfamiliar. You got to have a look for a character that is mysterious and menacing, and doesn'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/scott-derrickson-8957_afraid_what-everyone-is-always-afraid-of-is-the_2965114.jpg" --- # What everyone is always afraid of is the unknown, or the… ![“What everyone is always afraid of is the unknown, or the unfamiliar. You got to have a look for a character that is mysterious and menacing, and doesn't quite look like what we've seen before.” quote by Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/scott-derrickson-8957_afraid_what-everyone-is-always-afraid-of-is-the_2965114.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/scott-derrickson-8957_afraid_what-everyone-is-always-afraid-of-is-the_2965114.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/scott-derrickson-8957_afraid_what-everyone-is-always-afraid-of-is-the_2965114.jpg) > “What everyone is always afraid of is the unknown, or the unfamiliar. You got to have a look for a character that is mysterious and menacing, and doesn't quite look like what we've seen before.” [Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear of the unknown drives creators to seek mysterious, menacing characters that break familiar patterns. **In simple terms:** Fear fuels creative curiosity. Key Takeaway Explore the unfamiliar. Themes fear unknown creativity character design Mood eerie curious Type cinematic inspirational When to use this quote - screenwriting - game design - visual arts - marketing campaigns Key Concepts psychology of terror storytelling innovation Questions to Reflect On - What draws you to the mysterious? - How can you balance menace with relatability? A Different Perspective Risk of audience alienation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) [Afraid Unknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-unknown-747827/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-mysterious-4537183/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Look Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-character-888852/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious/) [Mysterious Menacing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious-menacing-4537184/) [Unfamiliar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfamiliar/) ## Related quotes > [“You are only afraid if you are not in harmony with yourself. People are afraid because they have never owned up to themselves. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/you-are-only-afraid-if-you-are-not-in-harmony-with-yourself-people/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Sometimes I'm extremely afraid of the unknown, but I'm so grateful to be on that journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/sometimes-i-m-extremely-afraid-of-the-unknown-but-i-m-so-grateful-to/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [“The unknown is not what to be afraid of, it’s only when the unknown becomes known that one can decide whether to be afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-peterson/the-unknown-is-not-what-to-be-afraid-of-it-s-only-when-the-unknown/) [Markus Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-peterson/) > [I think people resist freedom because they're afraid of the unknown. But it's ironic…That unknown was once very well known. 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I think that's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-derrickson/i-think-it-s-important-for-anyone-who-takes-cinema-seriously-not-to/) [Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) > [Kurosawa is my hero, and I've taught courses on his films, and I love what he does, and 'Rashomon' is, I think, his second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-derrickson/kurosawa-is-my-hero-and-i-ve-taught-courses-on-his-films-and-i-love/) [Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) > [I always liked the idea in 'Potter' that you don't choose the wand, the wand chooses you, and that relics decide when you're ready…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-derrickson/i-always-liked-the-idea-in-potter-that-you-don-t-choose-the-wand-the/) [Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) > [In my films, I either want the music to be very subtle and very buried or just put it right out in front and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-derrickson/in-my-films-i-either-want-the-music-to-be-very-subtle-and-very-buried/) [Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) > [There's a whole, that is a whole subgenre within martial arts cinema. 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I think she's the greatest American writer. Her book, 'Mystery and Manners,' is my creative bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-derrickson/flannery-o-connor-is-my-creative-hero-i-think-she-s-the-greatest/) [Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) > [I'm married to a nurse, and she is really, really ardent that - in screenplays or movies that I've worked on, that all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-derrickson/i-m-married-to-a-nurse-and-she-is-really-really-ardent-that-in/) [Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) > [For something to be completely evil is to be nothing. Satan has good attributes - intelligence, for instance - but they are corrupted. 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I genuinely want to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-derrickson/what-i-desire-most-in-my-life-is-to-become-a-better-person-i/) [Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) > [My interest in the comic goes back a long time, because I grew up reading comics, mostly Marvel Comics, and I always loved 'Doctor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-derrickson/my-interest-in-the-comic-goes-back-a-long-time-because-i-grew-up/) [Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) [Explore all 76 Scott Derrickson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“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/) > [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) [Darlene Senger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-senger/) > [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/) [Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/) > [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. 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