--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth is that anxiety is at once a…" description: "\"“The truth is that anxiety is at once a function of biology and philosophy, body and mind, instinct and reason, personality and culture. Even as anxiet..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_the-truth-is-that-anxiety-is-at-once-a-f_317825.png" --- # The truth is that anxiety is at once a function of biology… ![“The truth is that anxiety is at once a function of biology and philosophy, body and mind, instinct and reason, personality and culture. Even as anxiety is experienced at a spiritual and psychological level, it is scientifically measurable at the molecular level and the physiological level. It is…” quote by Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_the-truth-is-that-anxiety-is-at-once-a-f_317825.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_the-truth-is-that-anxiety-is-at-once-a-f_317825.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_the-truth-is-that-anxiety-is-at-once-a-f_317825.png) > ““The truth is that anxiety is at once a function of biology and philosophy, body and mind, instinct and reason, personality and culture. Even as anxiety is experienced at a spiritual and psychological level, it is scientifically measurable at the molecular level and the physiological level. It is produced by nature and it is produced by nurture. It’s a psychological phenomenon and a sociological phenomenon. In computer terms, it’s both a hardware problem (I’m wired badly) and a software problem (I run faulty logic programs that make me think anxious thoughts). The origins of a temperament are many faceted; emotional dispositions that may seem to have a simple, single source—a bad gene, say, or a childhood trauma—may not.”” [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Anxiety arises from intertwined biological, psychological, cultural, and social factors, making it both a physiological and mental phenomenon. **In simple terms:** Anxiety is caused by many interacting influences. Key Takeaway Address both body and mind to reduce anxiety. Themes biology philosophy psychology culture society Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - therapy - mindfulness - stress management - education - policy making Key Concepts neuroscience cognitive bias social conditioning Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance biological and cultural influences on anxiety? - What habits can you change to reduce anxiety? A Different Perspective Biology alone cannot fully explain anxiety; social factors also shape it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Body And Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-and-mind/) [Childhood trauma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood-trauma/) [Nurture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nurture/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“The truth is that anxiety is at once a function of biology and philosophy, body and mind, instinct and reason, personality and culture.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/the-truth-is-that-anxiety-is-at-once-a-function-of-biology-and-2/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [“The manic relief that comes from the fantasy that we can with one savage slash cut the chains of the past and rise like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/the-manic-relief-that-comes-from-the-fantasy-that-we-can-with-one/) [Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/) > [“If it is your fault that your mother is miserable, it becomes a potentially fixable affront. 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I often feel like I'm trying to escape some trap, be it a way of thinking, a compulsion, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-lundy-martin/i-often-feel-trapped-i-often-feel-like-i-m-trying-to-escape-some-trap/) [Dawn Lundy Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-lundy-martin/) > [“I need to ask, are you afraid of spiders?" Nicholas blinked, suddenly caught off guard, "Yes, I'm afraid of spiders." "Were you always?" "What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-m-irwin/i-need-to-ask-are-you-afraid-of-spiders-nicholas-blinked-suddenly/) [Stephen M. Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-m-irwin/) > [“I look at my mother, connected by a breath of glimmering hope, her red and shadowed eyes reveal that some element of our whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-nestor/i-look-at-my-mother-connected-by-a-breath-of-glimmering-hope-her-red/) [Alfred Nestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-nestor/) ## More by Scott Stossel > [“According to recent epidemiological data, the “lifetime incidence” of anxiety disorder is more than 25 percent—which, if true, means that one in four of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/according-to-recent-epidemiological-data-the-lifetime-incidence-of/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I wanted to put a human face on anxiety disorders. 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Starting out, I thought being a writer would enable me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/it-s-possible-that-i-would-have-been-better-suited-to-being-a-penguin/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [Generally speaking, the anxiety will pass, which is easy for me to say when I'm not in the middle of an anxiety attack. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/generally-speaking-the-anxiety-will-pass-which-is-easy-for-me-to-say/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I have, since the age of about 2, been a twitchy bundle of phobias, fears, and neuroses. And I have, since the age of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/i-have-since-the-age-of-about-2-been-a-twitchy-bundle-of-phobias/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [When I was 5 and my sister was 3, we went on a family trip, and she ate cheese off the floor at an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/when-i-was-5-and-my-sister-was-3-we-went-on-a-family-trip-and-she-ate/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [People who suffer from anxiety are very good at hiding it. 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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. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [“I guess if we're talking about my anxiety, the even truthier truth is it started way before that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/i-guess-if-we-re-talking-about-my-anxiety-the-even-truthier-truth-is/) [Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. 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