--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fear is the foundation of safety." description: "\"Fear is the foundation of safety.\" — Tertullian" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/tertullian-3469_fear_fear-is-the-foundation-of-safety-1536418_1536418.png" --- # Fear is the foundation of safety. ![“Fear is the foundation of safety.” quote by Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/tertullian-3469_fear_fear-is-the-foundation-of-safety-1536418_1536418.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/tertullian-3469_fear_fear-is-the-foundation-of-safety-1536418_1536418.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/tertullian-3469_fear_fear-is-the-foundation-of-safety-1536418_1536418.png) > “Fear is the foundation of safety.” [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Posits that fear underpins safety, suggesting that without fear, precautions may lapse. **In simple terms:** Fear can protect us. Key Takeaway Use fear as a safety cue. Themes safety fear precaution Mood cautious thoughtful Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - risk assessment - public policy - personal health - child rearing Key Concepts theology ethics Questions to Reflect On - When does fear become harmful? - How can we balance fear and confidence? A Different Perspective Excessive fear can be paralyzing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-foundation-3213744/) [Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundation/) [Foundation Safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundation-safety-5712150/) [Safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safety/) ## Related quotes > [Fear is the foundation of all human limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-urquidez/fear-is-the-foundation-of-all-human-limitations/) [Benny Urquidez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-urquidez/) > [“Fear is the foundation of your identity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-g-mez-pe-a/fear-is-the-foundation-of-your-identity/) [Guillermo Gómez-Peña](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-g-mez-pe-a/) > [Fear is the foundation of most governments; but it is so sordid and brutal a passion, and renders men in whose breasts it predominates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/fear-is-the-foundation-of-most-governments-but-it-is-so-sordid-and/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Fear is the foundation of most governments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/fear-is-the-foundation-of-most-governments/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [The Society is based on that great bottom law of human right, that nothing but crime can forfeit liberty. That no condition of birth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dwight-weld/the-society-is-based-on-that-great-bottom-law-of-human-right-that/) [Theodore Dwight Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dwight-weld/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. 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There is safety in numbers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hughes/most-of-the-time-they-buy-what-other-people-buy-they-move-in-great/) [Robert Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hughes/) > [“the higher the psychological safety in a unit, the fewer errors they made. Why? In the units that lacked psychological safety, health care professionals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/the-higher-the-psychological-safety-in-a-unit-the-fewer-errors-they/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) ## More by Tertullian > [The soul whose bosom lust did never touch Is God's fair bride; and maiden's souls are such.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/the-soul-whose-bosom-lust-did-never-touch-is-god-s-fair-bride-and/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [You can't undo anything you've already done, but you can face up to it. You can tell the truth. You can seek forgiveness. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/you-can-t-undo-anything-you-ve-already-done-but-you-can-face-up-to-it/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [Indeed it is better to postpone, lest either we complete too little by hurrying, or wander too long in completing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/indeed-it-is-better-to-postpone-lest-either-we-complete-too-little-by/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [A man becomes a Christian, he is not born one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/a-man-becomes-a-christian-he-is-not-born-one/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [The Word, then, the Christ, is the cause both of our ancient beginning, for lie was in God, and of our well-being. And now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/the-word-then-the-christ-is-the-cause-both-of-our-ancient-beginning/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [But now inquiry is being made concerning these issues. First, can any believer enlist in the military? Second, can any soldier, even those of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/but-now-inquiry-is-being-made-concerning-these-issues-first-can-any/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [Let women paint their eyes with tints of chastity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/let-women-paint-their-eyes-with-tints-of-chastity/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/the-blood-of-the-martyrs-is-the-seed-of-the-church/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [It is certainly no part of religion to compel religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/it-is-certainly-no-part-of-religion-to-compel-religion/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [Now then, you dogs, whom the apostle puts outside and who yelp at the God of truth, let us come to your various questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/now-then-you-dogs-whom-the-apostle-puts-outside-and-who-yelp-at-the/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [Hope is patience with the lamp lit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/hope-is-patience-with-the-lamp-lit/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [What has Athens to do with Jerusalem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/what-has-athens-to-do-with-jerusalem/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [God the Father's a deep root; the Son's the shoot that breaks into the world; the Spirit spreads the beauty & fragrance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/god-the-father-s-a-deep-root-the-son-s-the-shoot-that-breaks-into-the/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [The nature of rumor is known to all](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/the-nature-of-rumor-is-known-to-all/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [Prevention of birth is premature murder, and it makes no difference whether it is a life already born that one snatches away or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/prevention-of-birth-is-premature-murder-and-it-makes-no-difference/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) [Explore all 130 Tertullian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 the foundation of safety.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tertullian" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/fear-is-the-foundation-of-safety/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fear" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/fear-is-the-foundation-of-safety/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/tertullian-3469_fear_fear-is-the-foundation-of-safety-1536418_1536418.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/tertullian-3469_fear_fear-is-the-foundation-of-safety-1536418_1536418.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/tertullian-3469_fear_fear-is-the-foundation-of-safety-1536418_1536418.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Fear is the foundation of safety.” — Tertullian", "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": "Tertullian", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Fear is the foundation of safety.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/fear-is-the-foundation-of-safety/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/fear-is-the-foundation-of-safety/#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 } } ] } ```