QuoteProject
He talks pretty big for a gutter wizard," he muttered. "You don't understand at all," said the wizard wearily. "I'm so scared of you my spine has turned to jelly, it's just that I'm suffering from an overdose of terror right now. I mean, when I've got over that then I'll have time to be decently frightened of you.
Terry Pratchett
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote humorously highlights the fear and bravado of characters in a challenging situation.

In this exchange, the characters reflect on the paradox of fear, where one can feel overwhelmed yet still maintain a sense of bravado in the face of danger. The wizard acknowledges his fear but suggests that it is so intense that he is temporarily desensitized to it, showcasing both humor and a deeper commentary on how individuals cope with threatening situations.

Themes

FearBraveryHumorWizardTerror

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be shared during a motivational speaking event about overcoming fear.

More from Terry Pratchett

And then Jack chopped down what was the world's last beanstalk, adding murder and ecological terrorism to the theft, enticement, and trespass charges already mentioned, and all the giant's children didn't have a daddy anymore. But he got away with it and lived happily ever after, without so much as a guilty twinge about what he had done...which proves that you can be excused for just about anything if you are a hero, because no one asks inconvenient questions.
Terry PratchettRead
They've got something they do it with, I think it's called a mocracy, and it means everyone in the whole country can say who the new Tyrant is. One man ... one vet. ... Everyone has ... the vet. Except for women, of course. And children. And criminals. And slaves. And stupid people. And people of foreign extraction. And people disapproved of for, er, various reasons. And lots of other people. But everyone apart from them. It's a very enlightened civilization.
Terry PratchettRead
Geography is just physics slowed down, with a couple of trees stuck in it.
Terry PratchettRead
You can't trample infidels when you're a tortoise. I mean, all you could do is give them a meaningful look.
Terry PratchettRead
Any fool could be a witch with a runic knife, but it took skill to be one with an apple corer.
Terry PratchettRead
People look down on stuff like geography and meteorology, and not only because they're standing on one and being soaked by the other. They don't look quite like real science. But geography is only physics slowed down and with a few trees stuck on it, and meteorology is full of excitingly fashionable chaos and complexity. And summer isn't a time. It's a place as well. Summer is a moving creature and likes to go south for the winter.
Terry PratchettRead

Similar quotes

If you want to see a comic strip, you should see me in the shower.
Groucho MarxRead
Canada is like a loft apartment over a really great party.
Robin WilliamsRead
Well, I'm having a good time. Which makes me feel guilty too. How very English.
David AttenboroughRead
To watch a football game is to be in a prolonged neurotic doubt as to what you're seeing. It's more like an emergency happening at a distance than a game. I don't wonder the spectators take to drink.
Jacques BarzunRead
There aren't many downsides to being rich, other than paying taxes and having relatives asking for money. But being famous, that's a 24 hour job right there.
Bill MurrayRead
Golf was my first glimpse of comedy. I was a caddy when I was a kid. I was on the golf course rather than being in lessons, but I can play better now than I could then.
Bill MurrayRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.

Quote by Terry Pratchett | QuoteProject