---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every fear is fear of death."
description: "\"Every fear is fear of death.\" — Wilhelm Stekel"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/wilhelm-stekel-33531_death_every-fear-is-fear-of-death-2660553_2660553.jpg"
---

#  Every fear is fear of death.

![“Every fear is fear of death.” quote by Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/wilhelm-stekel-33531_death_every-fear-is-fear-of-death-2660553_2660553.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/wilhelm-stekel-33531_death_every-fear-is-fear-of-death-2660553_2660553.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/wilhelm-stekel-33531_death_every-fear-is-fear-of-death-2660553_2660553.jpg)

> “Every fear is fear of death.”

[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.

Fear stems from the unknown, especially death, which we perceive as ultimate loss of self.

**In simple terms:** Fear is really fear of dying.

Key Takeaway

Confront mortality to reduce anxiety.

Themes

psychology existentialism fear

Mood

anxious reflective

Type

philosophical psychological

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- life planning
- philosophical contemplation

Key Concepts

death anxiety human condition

Questions to Reflect On

- What does death represent for you?
- How can you face mortality constructively?

A Different Perspective

Fear may also arise from other threats, not just death.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear of death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-of-death/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/)

## Related quotes

> [“To be a mother is to live in fear. Fear of death, of sickness, of loss, of accidents, of strangers, of the Black Man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-harris/to-be-a-mother-is-to-live-in-fear-fear-of-death-of-sickness-of-loss/)

[Joanne Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-harris/)

> [“We fear it, yet most of us fear more than anything that it may take someone other than ourselves. For the greatest fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/we-fear-it-yet-most-of-us-fear-more-than-anything-that-it-may-take/)

[Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/)

> [When you do not realize that you are one with the river, or one with the universe, you have fear. Whether it is separated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/when-you-do-not-realize-that-you-are-one-with-the-river-or-one-with/)

[Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/)

> [I have absolutely no fear of death. From my near-death research and my personal experiences, death is, in my judgment, simply a transition into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-moody/i-have-absolutely-no-fear-of-death-from-my-near-death-research-and-my/)

[Raymond Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-moody/)

> [To go back is nothing but death; but to go forward is fear of death and life everlasting beyond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/to-go-back-is-nothing-but-death-but-to-go-forward-is-fear-of-death/)

[John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/)

> [Firstly, do not fear hardship, and secondly, do not fear death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/firstly-do-not-fear-hardship-and-secondly-do-not-fear-death/)

[Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/)

> [Mortality applies to every aspect of life. The fear of death is the driving fear of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-tosches/mortality-applies-to-every-aspect-of-life-the-fear-of-death-is-the/)

[Nick Tosches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-tosches/)

> [“Life... is a paradise to what we fear of death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/life-is-a-paradise-to-what-we-fear-of-death/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“We were putting into these gomers our fear of death, but who knew if they feared death? Perhaps they welcomed death like a dear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-shem/we-were-putting-into-these-gomers-our-fear-of-death-but-who-knew-if/)

[Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shem/)

> [I don't think people ever were free of fear of death, but clinging to life and being so unprepared for it is a modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-butler/i-don-t-think-people-ever-were-free-of-fear-of-death-but-clinging-to/)

[Katy Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-butler/)

> [Am I incapable of living with the one sole guarantee, that I'm still here? Am I afraid of living because I fear death?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hildegard-knef/am-i-incapable-of-living-with-the-one-sole-guarantee-that-i-m-still/)

[Hildegard Knef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hildegard-knef/)

> [“What I wanted to express very clearly and intensely was that the reason these people had to invent or imagine heroes and gods is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/what-i-wanted-to-express-very-clearly-and-intensely-was-that-the/)

[Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/)

> [The fear of death in the one place was not as strong as another kind of fear, the fear of a world gone crazy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-fear-of-death-in-the-one-place-was-not-as-strong-as-another-kind/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“love is fear but fear is death”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kruz-lex/love-is-fear-but-fear-is-death/)

Kruz Lex

> [Religion is based ... mainly upon fear ... fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/religion-is-based-mainly-upon-fear-fear-of-the-mysterious-fear-of/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

## 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. There are certain lies which may constitute a far better and more secure foundation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/truth-is-not-always-the-best-basis-for-happiness-there-are-certain/)

[Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/)

> [The immature man wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mature man wants to live humanely for one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/the-immature-man-wants-to-die-nobly-for-a-cause-while-the-mature-man/)

[Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/)

> [Love rarely overtakes; it mostly comes to meet us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/love-rarely-overtakes-it-mostly-comes-to-meet-us/)

[Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/)

> [Anxiety is fear of one's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/anxiety-is-fear-of-one-s-self/)

[Wilhelm Stekel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-stekel/)

> [In reality, we are still children. 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 Death quotes

> [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/)

[Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/)

> [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/)

[Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/)

> [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/)

J. Anthony Torino

> [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/)

[Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/)

> [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/)

Alan W. Powers

> [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/)

[Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/)

> [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/)

[Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/)

> [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/)

[Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/)

[Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Every fear is fear of death.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Wilhelm Stekel"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/every-fear-is-fear-of-death/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Death"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/every-fear-is-fear-of-death/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/wilhelm-stekel-33531_death_every-fear-is-fear-of-death-2660553_2660553.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/wilhelm-stekel-33531_death_every-fear-is-fear-of-death-2660553_2660553.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/wilhelm-stekel-33531_death_every-fear-is-fear-of-death-2660553_2660553.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Every fear is fear of death.” — 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": "Every fear is fear of death.",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/every-fear-is-fear-of-death/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-stekel/every-fear-is-fear-of-death/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
