---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We've been scared from using antibiotics…"
description: "\"We've been scared from using antibiotics and antivirals out of some kind of weird sense of communal responsibility to keep bugs naive to our powerful w..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/scott-gottlieb-6147_naive_we-ve-been-scared-from-using-antibiotics_1371743.jpg"
---

#  We've been scared from using antibiotics and antivirals…

![“We've been scared from using antibiotics and antivirals out of some kind of weird sense of communal responsibility to keep bugs naive to our powerful weapons.” quote by Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/scott-gottlieb-6147_naive_we-ve-been-scared-from-using-antibiotics_1371743.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/scott-gottlieb-6147_naive_we-ve-been-scared-from-using-antibiotics_1371743.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/scott-gottlieb-6147_naive_we-ve-been-scared-from-using-antibiotics_1371743.jpg)

> “We've been scared from using antibiotics and antivirals out of some kind of weird sense of communal responsibility to keep bugs naive to our powerful weapons.”

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

## 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 overusing antibiotics and antivirals stems from a misplaced sense of communal duty to preserve their effectiveness.

**In simple terms:** Fear of overuse is misdirected.

Key Takeaway

Use responsibly.

Themes

public health medicine ethics

Mood

concerned informative

Type

medical policy

When to use this quote

- hospital policy
- prescription practices
- public education

Key Concepts

antimicrobial resistance risk perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How to balance stewardship with patient needs?
- What guidelines promote responsible use?

A Different Perspective

Excessive fear may lead to undertreatment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/)

## Related quotes

> [Medicine, which I wouldn't be without, has also been a force for... less good. For example, if you look at our mishandling of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/medicine-which-i-wouldn-t-be-without-has-also-been-a-force-for-less/)

[Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/)

> [“I'm scared of using the few memories I have and turning them into memories of memories, like songs you've played too many times, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-le-vann/i-m-scared-of-using-the-few-memories-i-have-and-turning-them-into/)

[Kate le Vann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-le-vann/)

> [I've never been scared, but I'm very naive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsea-ballerini/i-ve-never-been-scared-but-i-m-very-naive/)

[Kelsea Ballerini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsea-ballerini/)

> [Why do physicians prescribe powerful antibiotics? Generally not because our patients ask for them. Most people who come in with a sore throat would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/why-do-physicians-prescribe-powerful-antibiotics-generally-not/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [I don't think I've ever been as scared in my life as I was to be extraordinarily honest with my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-jenner/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-been-as-scared-in-my-life-as-i-was-to-be/)

[Bruce Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-jenner/)

> [I started listening to 'Serial' but remember being home alone and the electricity went - I don't think I've ever been more scared!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitmore/i-started-listening-to-serial-but-remember-being-home-alone-and-the/)

[Laura Whitmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitmore/)

> [I've been scared and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered. Snow has friz me, Sun has baked me, Looks like between 'em they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/i-ve-been-scared-and-battered-my-hopes-the-wind-done-scattered-snow/)

[Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/)

> [I've done some things I've been scared to see. But you can kind of feel when you've got a hit on your hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eads/i-ve-done-some-things-i-ve-been-scared-to-see-but-you-can-kind-of/)

[George Eads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eads/)

> [I've always been much more scared of the living than I am of the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-james/i-ve-always-been-much-more-scared-of-the-living-than-i-am-of-the-dead/)

[Peter James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-james/)

> [I've always been scared to death of pain - afraid, even, to think of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-young/i-ve-always-been-scared-to-death-of-pain-afraid-even-to-think-of-it/)

[Loretta Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-young/)

> [I've been scared and I've liked not hanging on to stuff where I know that I'm in my comfort zone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/i-ve-been-scared-and-i-ve-liked-not-hanging-on-to-stuff-where-i-know/)

[Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/)

> [“I've scared, offended or made everyone uncomfortable enough to stay away. Mission accomplished.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katja-millay/i-ve-scared-offended-or-made-everyone-uncomfortable-enough-to-stay/)

[Katja Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katja-millay/)

> [I've never been scared of contact. Now I get to bring it, that's what I love to do, so I'm going to bring it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lewis/i-ve-never-been-scared-of-contact-now-i-get-to-bring-it-that-s-what-i/)

[Reggie Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lewis/)

> [I've always been scared to do a play. I don't know why, because doing 'Happy Days' was like a play with three cameras.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-moran/i-ve-always-been-scared-to-do-a-play-i-don-t-know-why-because-doing/)

[Erin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-moran/)

> [I've never been so scared of losing something in my life, then again nothing in my life has ever meant as much to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-never-been-so-scared-of-losing-something-in-my-life-then-again/)

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

## More by Scott Gottlieb

> [Obamacare mandates a largely uniform structure and set of benefits and insurance design across the entire country. It leaves consumers with very little real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/obamacare-mandates-a-largely-uniform-structure-and-set-of-benefits/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [What makes the EpiPen unique is its delivery vehicle - an auto-injector that's packaged in a convenient, pen-like device. The product's key attribute is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/what-makes-the-epipen-unique-is-its-delivery-vehicle-an-auto-injector/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [It's now evident that public health is part of national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/it-s-now-evident-that-public-health-is-part-of-national-security/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [We need to make sure that access to a curative drug doesn't become a yardstick by which poverty is eventually measured. Doing so requires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/we-need-to-make-sure-that-access-to-a-curative-drug-doesn-t-become-a/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [When the price of a drug rises, it becomes profitable and the target of new competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/when-the-price-of-a-drug-rises-it-becomes-profitable-and-the-target/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [Once an effective drug is approved to treat a deadly condition, introducing a second drug to treat the same disease can be hard. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/once-an-effective-drug-is-approved-to-treat-a-deadly-condition/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [At the heart of President Barack Obama's health-care plan is an insurance program funded by taxpayers, administered by Washington, and open to everyone. Modeled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/at-the-heart-of-president-barack-obama-s-health-care-plan-is-an/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [There are two main types of immunity to an infection. Innate immunity comes from circulating cells that attack any invader the body views as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/there-are-two-main-types-of-immunity-to-an-infection-innate-immunity/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [A seductive technology that works like a dream and improves lives will set off a consumer clamor, whether the new tool is an iPhone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/a-seductive-technology-that-works-like-a-dream-and-improves-lives/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [Our Founders thought politicians should be accountable when it comes to citizens' right to life, liberty and the pursuit of heart surgery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/our-founders-thought-politicians-should-be-accountable-when-it-comes/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [Trying to stretch the mission of a health program like Medicaid, as a way to launder redistributionist goals, ends up serving nobody well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/trying-to-stretch-the-mission-of-a-health-program-like-medicaid-as-a/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [Rather than redistribute physician income as a way to subsidize an expansion of government control, Mr. Obama should fix the payment system to align…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/rather-than-redistribute-physician-income-as-a-way-to-subsidize-an/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [The ability of working class Americans to bargain for health coverage at work gave them access to the same basic packages of benefits as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/the-ability-of-working-class-americans-to-bargain-for-health-coverage/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [Historical records show that smallpox was a human scourge for thousands of years. The virus produces high fever, severe back pain and scarring eruptions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/historical-records-show-that-smallpox-was-a-human-scourge-for/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

> [While faulty information from a digital health tool can influence people to make bad decisions, the risks are far lower than those posed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/while-faulty-information-from-a-digital-health-tool-can-influence/)

[Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

[Explore all 100 Scott Gottlieb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/)

## More Antibiotics quotes

> [Widespread use of antibiotics promotes the spread of antibiotic resistance. Smart use of antibiotics is the key to controlling its spread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-j-abdul-kalam/widespread-use-of-antibiotics-promotes-the-spread-of-antibiotic/)

[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-j-abdul-kalam/)

> [When we prescribe antibiotics for a strep throat, it's not even for the strep throat. It's for the complications of the strep throat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-varshavski/when-we-prescribe-antibiotics-for-a-strep-throat-it-s-not-even-for/)

[Mikhail Varshavski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-varshavski/)

> [When you look at the consequences of climate change, at rainforest deforestation, at antibiotic resistance, these are not necessarily political issues, but rather issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/when-you-look-at-the-consequences-of-climate-change-at-rainforest/)

[Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/)

> [While consumers may be more shocked by pink slime or the feeding of Prozac to poultry, the routine feeding of millions of pounds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-greger/while-consumers-may-be-more-shocked-by-pink-slime-or-the-feeding-of/)

[Michael Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-greger/)

> [I have vowed never to take antibiotics again unless I really need them. I also learned to pay attention to my body, know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nargis-fakhri/i-have-vowed-never-to-take-antibiotics-again-unless-i-really-need/)

[Nargis Fakhri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nargis-fakhri/)

> [I don't want food that comes from animals that are caged up and fed antibiotics. I am really suspicious of that kind of production…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-waters/i-don-t-want-food-that-comes-from-animals-that-are-caged-up-and-fed/)

[Alice Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-waters/)

> [I don't prefer to fill my body with antibiotics, pesticides, steroids, and growth hormones - my body is my temple, and I treat it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-whang/i-don-t-prefer-to-fill-my-body-with-antibiotics-pesticides-steroids/)

Suzanne Whang

> [I've never had a sinus infection or been on antibiotics since cutting out dairy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayim-bialik/i-ve-never-had-a-sinus-infection-or-been-on-antibiotics-since-cutting/)

[Mayim Bialik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayim-bialik/)

> [Medicine allows people to live who would otherwise die, so antibiotics will let people survive infections that they might be otherwise very vulnerable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-zimmer/medicine-allows-people-to-live-who-would-otherwise-die-so-antibiotics/)

[Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-zimmer/)

> [Do any of us actually want to live in a world where your boss can decide that he or she is morally opposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carmona/do-any-of-us-actually-want-to-live-in-a-world-where-your-boss-can/)

[Richard Carmona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carmona/)

> [Even diseases have lost their prestige, there aren't so many of them left. Think it over... no more syphilis, no more clap, no more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/even-diseases-have-lost-their-prestige-there-aren-t-so-many-of-them/)

[Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/)

> [People are going to start realizing, why take those antibiotics that are extracts of mushrooms? Why not just have the mushrooms?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wolfe/people-are-going-to-start-realizing-why-take-those-antibiotics-that/)

[David Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wolfe/)

> [Up to 90% of the total decline in the death rate of children between 1860-1965 because of whooping cough, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and measles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-kalokerinos/up-to-90-of-the-total-decline-in-the-death-rate-of-children-between/)

[Archie Kalokerinos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-kalokerinos/)

> [“Food animals also get antibiotics for “growth promotion,” a metabolically mysterious process that has made possible the entire high-volume, low-margin business of industrial-scale farming.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryn-mckenna/food-animals-also-get-antibiotics-for-growth-promotion-a/)

[Maryn McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryn-mckenna/)

> [The greatest analgesic, soporific, stimulant, tranquilizer, narcotic, and to some extent even antibiotic - in short, the closest thing to a genuine panacea -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-szasz/the-greatest-analgesic-soporific-stimulant-tranquilizer-narcotic-and/)

[Thomas Szasz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-szasz/)

Browse all 109 Antibiotics quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We've been scared from using antibiotics and antivirals out of some kind of weird sense of communal responsibility to keep bugs naive to our powerful weapons.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Scott Gottlieb"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/we-ve-been-scared-from-using-antibiotics-and-antivirals-out-of-some/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Antibiotics"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/we-ve-been-scared-from-using-antibiotics-and-antivirals-out-of-some/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/scott-gottlieb-6147_naive_we-ve-been-scared-from-using-antibiotics_1371743.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/scott-gottlieb-6147_naive_we-ve-been-scared-from-using-antibiotics_1371743.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/scott-gottlieb-6147_naive_we-ve-been-scared-from-using-antibiotics_1371743.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We've been scared from using antibiotics and antivirals out of some kind of weird sense of communal…” — Scott Gottlieb",
                "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": "Scott Gottlieb",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We've been scared from using antibiotics...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/we-ve-been-scared-from-using-antibiotics-and-antivirals-out-of-some/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/we-ve-been-scared-from-using-antibiotics-and-antivirals-out-of-some/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```