Fear Quote by Will Jelbert
““human beings are notoriously bad at making accurate predictions of their futures, and notoriously bad at predicting how they will feel when they get to those futures. It turns out that you are not only inept at predicting what you will want in the future, but you are also inept at predicting how frightening your future will be. We rarely test out our fears against our past experience or against the evidence of our current reality, and then we are surprised when our future does not turn out to be as frightening as we predicted. Unfortunately for you, every thought you have about that future fear, draws a circle around the fear, zooming its importance in your mind to 2x or 3x magnification.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Unknown, possibly interview, 2020s
People are poor at forecasting both the events and emotions of their future, often overestimating fear and desire.
In simple terms: We misjudge future feelings and fears.
Key Takeaway
Check assumptions, gather data before fearing.
Themes
psychology
future
prediction
fear
decisionmaking
Mood
anxious
reflective
Type
advisory
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career planning
- financial investing
- personal relationships
- health decisions
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
affect forecasting
overconfidence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you test your future assumptions today?
- What evidence contradicts your fear?
A Different Perspective
Our predictions are often wrong, leading to unnecessary anxiety.
