--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anxiety is fear of one's self." description: "\"Anxiety is fear of one's self.\" — Wilhelm Stekel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/wilhelm-stekel-33531_anxiety_anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self-2386248_2386248.jpg" --- # Anxiety is fear of one's self. ![“Anxiety is fear of one's self.” quote by Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/wilhelm-stekel-33531_anxiety_anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self-2386248_2386248.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/wilhelm-stekel-33531_anxiety_anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self-2386248_2386248.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/wilhelm-stekel-33531_anxiety_anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self-2386248_2386248.jpg) > “Anxiety is fear of one's self.” [Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) ## 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 fear of one's own self, reflecting internal conflict and self‑doubt. **In simple terms:** Anxiety is fear of yourself. Key Takeaway Face your inner fears. Themes psychology anxiety self‑awareness Mood introspective concerned Type psychological motivational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - personal reflection - stress management Key Concepts self‑concept fear internal conflict Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of yourself cause fear? - How can you reduce self‑criticism? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex anxiety causes; not all anxiety is self‑directed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Anxiety Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety-fear/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-self-503616/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) ## Related quotes > [Anxiety is the fear of one's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/anxiety-is-the-fear-of-one-s-self/) [Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) > [Almost all the ideas we have about being a man or being a woman are so burdened with pain, anxiety, fear and self-doubt. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cohen/almost-all-the-ideas-we-have-about-being-a-man-or-being-a-woman-are/) [Andrew Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cohen/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. 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Eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/everyone-freaks-out-sometimes-the-best-we-can-do-with-fear-is/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learn-the-art-of-patience-apply-discipline-to-your-thoughts-when-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Fear and self-doubt are the greatest killers of personal genius.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/fear-and-self-doubt-are-the-greatest-killers-of-personal-genius/) [Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [Every time I start a picture ... 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Thinking that there is something to be avoided manifests something to avoid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/fear-becomes-a-self-fulfilling-prophecy-thinking-that-there-is/) [Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/) > [Fear of self is the greatest of all terrors, the deepest of all dread, the commonest of all mistakes. From it grows failure. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-seabury/fear-of-self-is-the-greatest-of-all-terrors-the-deepest-of-all-dread/) [David Seabury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-seabury/) > [Fear is self-awareness raised to a higher level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/fear-is-self-awareness-raised-to-a-higher-level/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [There is always the fear of self-righteousness possessing us, the fear of arrogating to ourselves a superiority that we do not possess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/there-is-always-the-fear-of-self-righteousness-possessing-us-the-fear/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Behind every fear is a person you want to be. Fear is self-imposed, meaning it doesn't exist. You create it. You can destroy it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sweeney/behind-every-fear-is-a-person-you-want-to-be-fear-is-self-imposed/) [Ash Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sweeney/) ## More by Wilhelm Stekel > [People who do not understand themselves have a craving for understanding — a thing which is rather surmised and never spoken than known and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/people-who-do-not-understand-themselves-have-a-craving-for/) [Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) > [Anxiety is the fear of one's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/anxiety-is-the-fear-of-one-s-self/) [Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) > [“People get sick from ''not wanting to see''.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/people-get-sick-from-not-wanting-to-see/) [Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) > [Statistics is the art of lying by means of figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/statistics-is-the-art-of-lying-by-means-of-figures/) [Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) > [Love at first sight is a revival of an infantile impression. The first love object reappears in a different disguise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/love-at-first-sight-is-a-revival-of-an-infantile-impression-the-first/) [Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) > [Fervid atheism is usually a screen for repressed religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/fervid-atheism-is-usually-a-screen-for-repressed-religion/) [Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) > [Many an attack of depression is nothing but the expression of regret at having to be virtuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/many-an-attack-of-depression-is-nothing-but-the-expression-of-regret/) [Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) > [Truth is not always the best basis for happiness. 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We want to find a playmate for our thoughts and feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/in-reality-we-are-still-children-we-want-to-find-a-playmate-for-our/) [Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) > [Fear is the fear of one's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/fear-is-the-fear-of-one-s-self/) [Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) [Explore all 14 Wilhelm Stekel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/) ## 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. 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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": "Anxiety is fear of one's self.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wilhelm Stekel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anxiety" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/wilhelm-stekel-33531_anxiety_anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self-2386248_2386248.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/wilhelm-stekel-33531_anxiety_anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self-2386248_2386248.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/wilhelm-stekel-33531_anxiety_anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self-2386248_2386248.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Anxiety is fear of one's self.” — Wilhelm Stekel", "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": "Wilhelm Stekel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Anxiety is fear of one's self.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self/#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 } } ] } ```