Try any goddam thing you like, no matter how boringly normal or outrageous. If it works, fine. If it doesn't, toss it. Toss it even if you love it.
Stephen KingRead
It's alright to feel fear, but sometimes a very bad idea to show it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Acknowledging fear is natural, but displaying it can lead to negative consequences.
This quote by Stephen King highlights the duality of fear—it is a human emotion that everyone experiences, but letting it be visible can undermine one's strength or authority. In many situations, especially those requiring leadership or courage, it is often wiser to manage one's fear internally while maintaining a facade of confidence to navigate challenges successfully.
Themes
FearCourageStrengthLeadershipConfidence
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech to encourage employees to face challenges head-on, a leader might say this quote.
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Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.
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That's the day's business. Thinking. Thinking and isolation, because it doesn't matter if you pass the time of day with someone or not; in the end, you're alone. He seemed to have put in as many miles in his brain as he had with his feet. The thoughts kept coming and there was no way to deny them.
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Late last night and the night before, tommyknockers, tommyknockers knocking on my door. I wanna go out, don't know if I can 'cuz I'm so afraid of the tommyknocker man.
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When I knew I couldn't suffer another moment of pain, and tears fell on my bloody bindings, my mother spoke softly into my ear, encouraging me to go one more hour, one more day, one more week, reminding me of the rewards I would have if I carried on a little longer. In this way, she taught me how to endure — not just the physical trials of footbinding and childbearing but the more torturous pain of the heart, mind, and soul.
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I don't fear death. I remember my last meeting with my father when he told me, "You know, tonight when I will be killed, my mother and my father will be waiting for me." It makes me weepy ... but I don't think it can happen unless God wants it to happen because so many people have tried to kill me.
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Hardness shatters; strength endures.
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I don't see why I should bow my head when I could hold it high, or place it in the hands of my enemies when I can defeat them.
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Never was the victory of patience more complete than in the early church. The anvil broke the hammer by bearing all the blows that the hammer could place upon it. The patience of the saints was stronger than the cruelty of tyrants.
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