As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our current fears often seem less significant compared to the fears we imagine in our minds.
This quote from Shakespeare highlights the tendency of human beings to amplify their fears through imagination, often creating scenarios that are much worse than reality. In essence, it suggests that what we fear in the present moment is usually more manageable than the horrific possibilities we conjure up in our minds, encouraging us to confront our fears rather than allow our imagination to run wild.
Themes
FearImaginationRealityWisdomPerspective
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming anxiety and self-doubt.
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Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
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Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
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