---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fear represents our need to hang on to…"
description: "\"Fear represents our need to hang on to the riverbank, to control outcomes, results, our lives; it swims upstream. Truth is about releasing that hold, l..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shadyac-8145_currents_fear-represents-our-need-to-hang-on-to-t_2458725.png"
---

#  Fear represents our need to hang on to the riverbank, to…

![“Fear represents our need to hang on to the riverbank, to control outcomes, results, our lives; it swims upstream. Truth is about releasing that hold, letting go of results, and trusting the direction of Life’s current.” quote by Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shadyac-8145_currents_fear-represents-our-need-to-hang-on-to-t_2458725.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shadyac-8145_currents_fear-represents-our-need-to-hang-on-to-t_2458725.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shadyac-8145_currents_fear-represents-our-need-to-hang-on-to-t_2458725.png)

> “Fear represents our need to hang on to the riverbank, to control outcomes, results, our lives; it swims upstream. Truth is about releasing that hold, letting go of results, and trusting the direction of Life’s current.”

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Fear stems from trying to control outcomes; true peace comes from surrendering to life's flow.

**In simple terms:** Fear is about control; peace is about letting go.

Key Takeaway

Release control, trust the flow.

Themes

fear control trust acceptance

Mood

reflective calm

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- career decisions
- personal growth
- stress management
- relationship conflicts

Key Concepts

psychology mindfulness determinism

Questions to Reflect On

- What outcomes are you trying to control?
- How could trusting the flow improve your wellbeing?

A Different Perspective

Letting go can feel risky and may lead to uncertainty.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Letting go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-go/)

## Related quotes

> [I caught Bast’s arm when she was a few steps from the bank. “Stay away from the water.” She frowned. “Carter, I’m a cat.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/i-caught-bast-s-arm-when-she-was-a-few-steps-from-the-bank-stay-away/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [“huddled together miserably on the riverbank as the wind snapped at them. Chett felt it too, biting”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/huddled-together-miserably-on-the-riverbank-as-the-wind-snapped-at/)

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

> [Trees on a riverbank, a woman in another man's house, and kings without counselors go without doubt to swift destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/trees-on-a-riverbank-a-woman-in-another-man-s-house-and-kings-without/)

[Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/)

> [Few cross over the river. Most are stranded on this side. On the riverbank they run up and down. But the wise man, following…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/few-cross-over-the-river-most-are-stranded-on-this-side-on-the/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [“My mother has told me once and for all the useful parts. She will add nothing unless powered by necessity, a riverbank that guides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-hong-kingston/my-mother-has-told-me-once-and-for-all-the-useful-parts-she-will-add/)

[Maxine Hong Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-hong-kingston/)

> [“In the shade of the house, in the sunshine of the riverbank near the boats,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/in-the-shade-of-the-house-in-the-sunshine-of-the-riverbank-near-the/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Above all, a book is a riverbank for the river of language. Language without the riverbank is only television talk - a free fall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/above-all-a-book-is-a-riverbank-for-the-river-of-language-language/)

[Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/)

> [“It might seem to you that living in the woods on a riverbank would remove you from the modern world. But not if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/it-might-seem-to-you-that-living-in-the-woods-on-a-riverbank-would/)

[Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/)

> [All I did was sit on the riverbank handing out river water. After I'm gone, I trust you will notice the river.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/all-i-did-was-sit-on-the-riverbank-handing-out-river-water-after-i-m/)

[Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/)

> [“I am back home by a riverbank and I am happy and I still lover her. My secret is that I still love her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-el-akkad/i-am-back-home-by-a-riverbank-and-i-am-happy-and-i-still-lover-her-my/)

[Omar El Akkad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-el-akkad/)

> [“Khaemwaset’s eyes remained on the riverbank as the green confusion of spring glided by. Beyond the fecund, brilliant life of the bank with its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-gedge/khaemwaset-s-eyes-remained-on-the-riverbank-as-the-green-confusion-of/)

[Pauline Gedge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-gedge/)

> [Trusting people to pursue their own futures invariably provides better outcomes. Money goes where it is needed, rather than being absorbed by administration costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/trusting-people-to-pursue-their-own-futures-invariably-provides/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [I'm just trusting my work. Putting it in everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shai-gilgeous-alexander/i-m-just-trusting-my-work-putting-it-in-everyday/)

[Shai Gilgeous-Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shai-gilgeous-alexander/)

> [“A deal of people, Miss, are for trusting all to Providence; but I say Providence will not dispense with the means, though He often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/a-deal-of-people-miss-are-for-trusting-all-to-providence-but-i-say/)

[Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [Trusting yourself is trusting the wisdom that created you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/trusting-yourself-is-trusting-the-wisdom-that-created-you/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

## More by Tom Shadyac

> [Technology is not good, it's neutral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/technology-is-not-good-it-s-neutral/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [Death is not the enemy. A life lived without love is the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/death-is-not-the-enemy-a-life-lived-without-love-is-the-enemy/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [The solution begins with a deeper transformation that must occur in each of us. I AM isn't as much about what you can do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/the-solution-begins-with-a-deeper-transformation-that-must-occur-in/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [Facing my own death brought an instant sense of clarity and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/facing-my-own-death-brought-an-instant-sense-of-clarity-and-purpose/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [The truth is nobody can own anything. That was an unheard-of concept among indigenous people. We invented that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/the-truth-is-nobody-can-own-anything-that-was-an-unheard-of-concept/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [The word contentment comes from the word content, which is what we hold inside - love, value, a feeling of a life that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/the-word-contentment-comes-from-the-word-content-which-is-what-we/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [The way I think we were living is an invention. The truth is nobody can own anything. That was an unheard-of concept among indigenous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/the-way-i-think-we-were-living-is-an-invention-the-truth-is-nobody/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [I hope people start to look at their lives as the most powerful, creative act they will ever offer this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/i-hope-people-start-to-look-at-their-lives-as-the-most-powerful/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [I am part of a divine essence. I don't have to become anything. I already am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/i-am-part-of-a-divine-essence-i-don-t-have-to-become-anything-i/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [Our culture does not teach us this, but what happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas. If you cheat in Vegas, it comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/our-culture-does-not-teach-us-this-but-what-happens-in-vegas-does-not/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [Communism didn't work because people weren't ready for it, it was corrupt, and because it squelched individualism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/communism-didn-t-work-because-people-weren-t-ready-for-it-it-was/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [The mystics will tell you death is perfectly safe. A violent act will beget a violent act; it is simply a law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/the-mystics-will-tell-you-death-is-perfectly-safe-a-violent-act-will/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [I love Frank Capra. He believed in the goodness of people and one man's ability to fight and often triumph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/i-love-frank-capra-he-believed-in-the-goodness-of-people-and-one-man/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [If we exchange bombs for bread there will be less reason for wanting to kill us. I just want to have the conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/if-we-exchange-bombs-for-bread-there-will-be-less-reason-for-wanting/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [“TRUTH: Worry has little to do with waking up. It has little to do with anything of value. Yes, entire industries have been created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/truth-worry-has-little-to-do-with-waking-up-it-has-little-to-do-with/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

[Explore all 83 Tom Shadyac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

## More Currents quotes

> [In the current climate, things that are true, brave human stories become political.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/in-the-current-climate-things-that-are-true-brave-human-stories/)

[Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/)

> [I'm a candle flame that sways in currents of air you can't see. You need to be the one who steadies me to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-m-a-candle-flame-that-sways-in-currents-of-air-you-can-t-see-you/)

[Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/)

> [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/)

[Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/)

> [I take the seashell from my jeans pocket and rub my fingers across its silken, indented surface, shallow as my own open hand. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-kenison/i-take-the-seashell-from-my-jeans-pocket-and-rub-my-fingers-across/)

[Katrina Kenison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-kenison/)

> [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [I earn my living by teaching film, mostly filmmaking but also teaching courses on current cinema. I'm interested in movies. I hope that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-andersen/i-earn-my-living-by-teaching-film-mostly-filmmaking-but-also-teaching/)

[Thom Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-andersen/)

> [I think that's the beauty of the current setup, is that Legends is meant to be a bit of a revolving door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-the-current-setup-is-that-legends-is/)

[Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/)

> [The seed of your next artwork lies embedded in the imperfections of your current piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/the-seed-of-your-next-artwork-lies-embedded-in-the-imperfections-of/)

[David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/)

> [Combining the experience of a seasoned university president with the analysis of a respected legal scholar, Derek Bok explores what he concludes are 'signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-h-t-rhodes/combining-the-experience-of-a-seasoned-university-president-with-the/)

Frank H. T. Rhodes

> [The book is like the spoon, scissors, the hammer, the wheel. Once invented, it cannot be improved. You cannot make a spoon that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-book-is-like-the-spoon-scissors-the-hammer-the-wheel-once/)

[Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/)

> [Something I like to do a lot is just sit by water when there’s a current and just stare into the water. I don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/something-i-like-to-do-a-lot-is-just-sit-by-water-when-there-s-a/)

[Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/)

> [Read things you're sure will disagree with your current thinking. If you're a die-hard anti-animal person, read Meat. If you're a die-hard global warming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/read-things-you-re-sure-will-disagree-with-your-current-thinking-if/)

[Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/)

> [All becomes easy when we follow the current of opinion; it is the ruler of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/all-becomes-easy-when-we-follow-the-current-of-opinion-it-is-the/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [Donald Trump said he will not decide about a possible run for the presidency until after the current season of Celebrity Apprentice wraps up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/donald-trump-said-he-will-not-decide-about-a-possible-run-for-the/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

Browse all 2,019 Currents quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Fear represents our need to hang on to the riverbank, to control outcomes, results, our lives; it swims upstream. Truth is about releasing that hold, letting go of results, and trusting the direction of Life’s current.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tom Shadyac"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/fear-represents-our-need-to-hang-on-to-the-riverbank-to-control/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Currents"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/fear-represents-our-need-to-hang-on-to-the-riverbank-to-control/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shadyac-8145_currents_fear-represents-our-need-to-hang-on-to-t_2458725.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shadyac-8145_currents_fear-represents-our-need-to-hang-on-to-t_2458725.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shadyac-8145_currents_fear-represents-our-need-to-hang-on-to-t_2458725.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Fear represents our need to hang on to the riverbank, to control outcomes, results, our lives; it swims…” — Tom Shadyac",
                "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": "Tom Shadyac",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Fear represents our need to hang...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/fear-represents-our-need-to-hang-on-to-the-riverbank-to-control/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/fear-represents-our-need-to-hang-on-to-the-riverbank-to-control/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
