--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To grapple with and understand anxiety…" description: "\"To grapple with and understand anxiety is, in some sense, to grapple with and understand the human condition.\" — Scott Stossel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_to-grapple-with-and-understand-anxiety-i_2654832.png" --- # To grapple with and understand anxiety is, in some sense… ![“To grapple with and understand anxiety is, in some sense, to grapple with and understand the human condition.” quote by Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_to-grapple-with-and-understand-anxiety-i_2654832.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_to-grapple-with-and-understand-anxiety-i_2654832.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_to-grapple-with-and-understand-anxiety-i_2654832.png) > “To grapple with and understand anxiety is, in some sense, to grapple with and understand the human condition.” [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. Understanding anxiety is akin to understanding the broader human experience. **In simple terms:** Anxiety reflects human condition. Key Takeaway Use anxiety insights to empathize with others. Themes mental health human condition self‑awareness Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - therapy - creative writing - leadership training Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How does anxiety shape your decisions? - What other emotions reveal humanity? A Different Perspective Anxiety isn’t the only human challenge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Anxiety Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety-sense-2379943/) [Condition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condition/) [Grapple Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grapple-understand-2379944/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human condition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-condition/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) [Understand Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-anxiety-220371/) [Understand Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-human-481901/) ## Related quotes > [“Some eighty years ago, Freud proposed that anxiety was “a riddle whose solution would be bound to throw a flood of light on our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/some-eighty-years-ago-freud-proposed-that-anxiety-was-a-riddle-whose/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [When I was in drama school, I really got into a dark place. I went to a therapist - it was really helpful to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-jones/when-i-was-in-drama-school-i-really-got-into-a-dark-place-i-went-to-a/) [Finn Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-jones/) > [“The more you understand about anxiety, the more you will be able to control it. Remember, social anxiety is not some abstract phenomenon or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/the-more-you-understand-about-anxiety-the-more-you-will-be-able-to/) [Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/) > [“It can be seen not just as part of the human condition, but central to what it is to be human. We recognize in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-inglis/it-can-be-seen-not-just-as-part-of-the-human-condition-but-central-to/) [Tom Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-inglis/) > [I have never quite understood - and this is no doubt my failing - I never quite understood why you would read fiction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-never-quite-understood-and-this-is-no-doubt-my-failing-i-never/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [My suggestion is that there's no way out of the human condition. Sex, death, marriage, children, parents, illness. There's no way out. They're a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/my-suggestion-is-that-there-s-no-way-out-of-the-human-condition-sex/) [James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/) > [If we can't laugh at ourselves and the human condition, we're going to be mean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-brennan/if-we-can-t-laugh-at-ourselves-and-the-human-condition-we-re-going-to/) [Eileen Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-brennan/) > [For anyone with half a brain they can see that this play is about the human condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle-parsons/for-anyone-with-half-a-brain-they-can-see-that-this-play-is-about-the/) [Estelle Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle-parsons/) > [The human condition is not perfect. We are not perfect specimens, any of us. We're not robots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/the-human-condition-is-not-perfect-we-are-not-perfect-specimens-any/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [I'm just trying to say that it should reassure us that the inevitable traumas of being human do end up producing some good. Otherwise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/i-m-just-trying-to-say-that-it-should-reassure-us-that-the-inevitable/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I think every revolutionary act is an act of love. Every song that I've written, it is because of my desire to use music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/i-think-every-revolutionary-act-is-an-act-of-love-every-song-that-i/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [The function of the novel is the exploration of the human condition. Really, that's what it's all about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/the-function-of-the-novel-is-the-exploration-of-the-human-condition/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“I was not alone in the human condition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/i-was-not-alone-in-the-human-condition/) [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) > [Human beings are interested in the human condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-boyd/human-beings-are-interested-in-the-human-condition/) [William Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-boyd/) > [I see film as a real opportunity to examine the human condition. No matter where the technology goes in the future, the basics don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schultz/i-see-film-as-a-real-opportunity-to-examine-the-human-condition-no/) [Michael Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schultz/) ## 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. I thought people who suffer from anxiety might recognize themselves and gain some comfort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/i-wanted-to-put-a-human-face-on-anxiety-disorders-i-thought-people/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [Barbra Streisand developed overwhelming performance anxiety at the height of her career; for 27 years she refused to perform for the general public, appearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/barbra-streisand-developed-overwhelming-performance-anxiety-at-the/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [All the textbooks talk about avoidance as a classic hallmark of anxiety disorder. So you need a therapist who is sympathetic and understanding but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/all-the-textbooks-talk-about-avoidance-as-a-classic-hallmark-of/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [During high school, I would purposely lose tennis and squash matches to escape the agony of anxiety that competitive situations would provoke in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/during-high-school-i-would-purposely-lose-tennis-and-squash-matches/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [“The truth is that anxiety is at once a function of biology and philosophy, body and mind, instinct and reason, personality and culture. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/the-truth-is-that-anxiety-is-at-once-a-function-of-biology-and/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [It's possible that I would have been better suited to being a penguin keeper. 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. That can often be a contributor to the anxiety because the gap between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/people-who-suffer-from-anxiety-are-very-good-at-hiding-it-that-can/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [“Studies of the DSM-II found that when two psychiatrists consulted the same patient, they gave the same DSM diagnosis only between 32 and 42…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/studies-of-the-dsm-ii-found-that-when-two-psychiatrists-consulted-the/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [An astonishing portion of my life is built around trying to evade vomiting and preparing for the eventuality that I might.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/an-astonishing-portion-of-my-life-is-built-around-trying-to-evade/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [“Hippocrates, the ancient Greek doctor, concluded in the fourth century B.C. that pathological anxiety was a straightforward biological and medical problem. “If you cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/hippocrates-the-ancient-greek-doctor-concluded-in-the-fourth-century/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I am living on the razor's edge between success and failure, adulation and humiliation - between justifying my existence and revealing my unworthiness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/i-am-living-on-the-razor-s-edge-between-success-and-failure-adulation/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) [Explore all 56 Scott Stossel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) ## More Anxiety quotes > [“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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/) > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. 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. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-walker/as-you-know-i-have-been-very-open-about-my-struggle-with-social/) [Summer Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-walker/) > [Anxiety is not to be managed it is a sin that needs to be repented of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/anxiety-is-not-to-be-managed-it-is-a-sin-that-needs-to-be-repented-of/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) [Browse all 4,944 Anxiety quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To grapple with and understand anxiety is, in some sense, to grapple with and understand the human condition.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scott Stossel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/to-grapple-with-and-understand-anxiety-is-in-some-sense-to-grapple/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anxiety" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/to-grapple-with-and-understand-anxiety-is-in-some-sense-to-grapple/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_to-grapple-with-and-understand-anxiety-i_2654832.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_to-grapple-with-and-understand-anxiety-i_2654832.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_to-grapple-with-and-understand-anxiety-i_2654832.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To grapple with and understand anxiety is, in some sense, to grapple with and understand the human condition.” — Scott Stossel", "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 Stossel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To grapple with and understand anxiety...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/to-grapple-with-and-understand-anxiety-is-in-some-sense-to-grapple/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/to-grapple-with-and-understand-anxiety-is-in-some-sense-to-grapple/#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 } } ] } ```