---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be scared. You can't help that. But don't…"
description: "\"Be scared. You can't help that. But don't be afraid. Ain't nothing in the woods going to hurt you unless you corner it, or it smells that you are afrai..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/william-faulkner-306_afraid_be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t_2327332.png"
---

#  Be scared. You can't help that. But don't be afraid. Ain't…

![“Be scared. You can't help that. But don't be afraid. Ain't nothing in the woods going to hurt you unless you corner it, or it smells that you are afraid. A bear or a deer, too, has got to be scared of a coward the same as a brave man has got to be.” quote by William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/william-faulkner-306_afraid_be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t_2327332.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/william-faulkner-306_afraid_be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t_2327332.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/william-faulkner-306_afraid_be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t_2327332.png)

> “Be scared. You can't help that. But don't be afraid. Ain't nothing in the woods going to hurt you unless you corner it, or it smells that you are afraid. A bear or a deer, too, has got to be scared of a coward the same as a brave man has got to be.”

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

## About This Quote

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

Fear is natural, but confronting it prevents it from becoming a threat; both cowardice and bravery have their own fears.

**In simple terms:** Face fear; it loses power.

Key Takeaway

Confront fear to diminish its hold.

Themes

fear courage nature psychology

Mood

thoughtful cautious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- outdoor activities
- personal challenges
- self‑defense

Key Concepts

human behavior survival instincts

Questions to Reflect On

- What fears do you avoid confronting?
- How does confronting fear change your perception?

A Different Perspective

Some fears may be irrational and persist.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) [Afraid Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-bear-5247917/) [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Brave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave/) [Brave man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave-man/) [Bravery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bravery/) [Corners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corners/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coward/) [Deer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deer/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Scared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scared/) [Scared Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scared-coward-3939643/) [Scared Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scared-help-1445328/) [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/) [Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woods/)

## Related quotes

> [Be scared. You can't help that. But don't be afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t-be-afraid/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [If I'm scared and I'm a coward, why do you guys want to see me fight?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-mayweather-jr/if-i-m-scared-and-i-m-a-coward-why-do-you-guys-want-to-see-me-fight/)

[Floyd Mayweather, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-mayweather-jr/)

> [“But Bear said I shouldn’t talk to strangers because they would be scared of me. I always thought I was supposed to be afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-klune/but-bear-said-i-shouldn-t-talk-to-strangers-because-they-would-be/)

[T.J. Klune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-klune/)

> [I'm not afraid of anything - except bear. But bear in the forest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-bryzgalov/i-m-not-afraid-of-anything-except-bear-but-bear-in-the-forest/)

[Ilya Bryzgalov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-bryzgalov/)

> [“Yet each man kills the thing he loves, By each let this be heard, Some do it with a bitter look, Some with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yet-each-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-by-each-let-this-be-heard-some/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Even brave men, and D'Arnot was a brave man, are sometimes frightened by solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-rice-burroughs/even-brave-men-and-d-arnot-was-a-brave-man-are-sometimes-frightened/)

[Edgar Rice Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-rice-burroughs/)

> [“A craven can be as brave as any man, when there is nothing to fear. And we all do our duty, when there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-rr-martin/a-craven-can-be-as-brave-as-any-man-when-there-is-nothing-to-fear-and/)

[George RR Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-rr-martin/)

> [“The marquis de Carabas was not a good man, and he knew himself well enough to be perfectly certain that he was not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-marquis-de-carabas-was-not-a-good-man-and-he-knew-himself-well/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-learned-that-courage-was-not-the-absence-of-fear-but-the-triumph/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [Manifestly, dying is nothing to a really great and brave man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/manifestly-dying-is-nothing-to-a-really-great-and-brave-man/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [The sea's vast depths lie open to the fish; Wherever the breezes blow the bird may fly; So to the brave man every land's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/the-sea-s-vast-depths-lie-open-to-the-fish-wherever-the-breezes-blow/)

[Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/)

> [There is a destiny in war, to which a brave man knows how to submit with the same courage that he faces his foes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/there-is-a-destiny-in-war-to-which-a-brave-man-knows-how-to-submit/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [New Mexico is full of brave men and women who have dedicated their lives to service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-udall/new-mexico-is-full-of-brave-men-and-women-who-have-dedicated-their/)

[Tom Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-udall/)

> [“It is true that only a coward can be brave, as a man who feels no fear has conquered nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conn-david-iggulden/it-is-true-that-only-a-coward-can-be-brave-as-a-man-who-feels-no-fear/)

[Conn &amp; David Iggulden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conn-david-iggulden/)

> [“Tranquillity is courage in repose. It is a statical manifestation of valor, as daring deeds are a dynamical. A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/)

[Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/)

## More by William Faulkner

> [“The river itself is not a hundred yards across, and pa and Vernon and Vardaman and Dewey Dell are the only things in sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-river-itself-is-not-a-hundred-yards-across-and-pa-and-vernon-and/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [The quality an artist must have is objectivity in judging his work, plus the honesty and courage not to kid himself about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-quality-an-artist-must-have-is-objectivity-in-judging-his-work/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“Luster returned, wearing a stiff new straw hat with a colored band and carrying a cloth cap. The hat seemed to isolate Luster's skull,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/luster-returned-wearing-a-stiff-new-straw-hat-with-a-colored-band-and/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-man-is-immortal-simply-because-he-will/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“What matters is at the end of life, when you're about to pass into oblivion, that you've at least scratched 'Kilroy was here,' on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-matters-is-at-the-end-of-life-when-you-re-about-to-pass-into/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [I've got to feel the pencil and see the words at the end of the pencil,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-ve-got-to-feel-the-pencil-and-see-the-words-at-the-end-of-the-pencil/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [And sure enough, even waiting will end...if you can just wait long enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/and-sure-enough-even-waiting-will-end-if-you-can-just-wait-long-enough/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-believe-that-man-will-not-merely-endure-he-will-prevail-he-is/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/never-be-afraid-to-raise-your-voice-for-honesty-and-truth-and/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/to-understand-the-world-you-must-first-understand-a-place-like/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“What modren ideas?” pap said. “I didn’t know there was but one idea about work—until it is done, it ain’t done, and when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-modren-ideas-pap-said-i-didn-t-know-there-was-but-one-idea-about/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“It was only as he put his hand on the door that he became aware of complete silence beyond it, a silence which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-was-only-as-he-put-his-hand-on-the-door-that-he-became-aware-of/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“She has no mother because fatherblood hates with love and pride, but motherblood with hate loves and cohabits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/she-has-no-mother-because-fatherblood-hates-with-love-and-pride-but/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“Byron listened quietly, thinking to himself how people everywhere are about the same, but that it did seem that in a small town, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/byron-listened-quietly-thinking-to-himself-how-people-everywhere-are/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“It was too late. Maybe yesterday, while I was still a child, but not now. I knew too much, had seen too much, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-was-too-late-maybe-yesterday-while-i-was-still-a-child-but-not-now/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

[Explore all 673 William Faulkner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

## More Afraid quotes

> [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/)

[Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/)

> [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/)

[Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/)

> [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/)

[Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/)

> [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/)

[Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/)

> [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/)

[Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/)

> [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/)

[Darlene Senger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-senger/)

> [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/)

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

> [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/)

[Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/)

> [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/)

[Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/)

> [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/)

[Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/)

> [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/)

[Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/)

> [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/)

[Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/)

[Browse all 5,519 Afraid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Be scared. You can't help that. But don't be afraid. Ain't nothing in the woods going to hurt you unless you corner it, or it smells that you are afraid. A bear or a deer, too, has got to be scared of a coward the same as a brave man has got to be.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Faulkner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t-be-afraid-ain-t-nothing-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Afraid"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t-be-afraid-ain-t-nothing-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/william-faulkner-306_afraid_be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t_2327332.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/william-faulkner-306_afraid_be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t_2327332.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/william-faulkner-306_afraid_be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t_2327332.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Be scared. You can't help that. But don't be afraid. Ain't nothing in the woods going to hurt you unless you…” — William Faulkner",
                "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": "William Faulkner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Be scared. You can't help that....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t-be-afraid-ain-t-nothing-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/be-scared-you-can-t-help-that-but-don-t-be-afraid-ain-t-nothing-in/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
