Fear Quote by Thomas Bernhard
““The facts are always frightening, and in all of us fear of the facts is constantly at work, constantly being fuelled; but this morbid fear must not lead us to conceal the facts and so to falsify the whole of human history -- which is of course part of natural history -- and pass it on in falsified form just because it is customary to do so, when we know that all history is falsified and always transmitted in falsified form.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Discussing History and Truth, 1992
Human history is repeatedly distorted; confronting uncomfortable facts is essential despite fear.
In simple terms: History is often falsified; we must face truth.
Key Takeaway
Challenge accepted narratives and seek authentic truth.
Themes
history
truth
fear
knowledge
critical thinking
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic research
- public discourse
- education
- media analysis
Key Concepts
historiography
epistemology
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms protect truth from distortion?
- How do we balance fear and truth‑seeking?
A Different Perspective
Fear can paralyze inquiry; confronting facts may cause discomfort.
![“[In the Field Museum of Natural History] we could see very simple, primitive, hand-built pottery from Babylonia and ancient Egypt and so forth, Greece. We could see the most sophisticated things that came out of the Orient - Japan, Korea, and China - some few pieces of European porcelain, majolica…” quote by Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8fc/warren-mackenzie-4654_ancient_in-the-field-museum-of-natural-history-w_183538.jpg)
