Beware Books Bearing Quotes

Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself
FDR, his First Inaugural Address

People use this quote frequently. People often claim that the only thing worth fearing is fear. If there's one thing that I've learned, it's that people are dumb.

When FDR stated that we have nothing to fear but fear itself, he was talking about a fairly specific set of circumstances. The only thing, he was claiming, that could stop the nation from returning from the brink, that could cease the return from the great depression, was a "nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance". The only thing that could have kept the nation down was to refuse to move forward.

Yes, fear like this is worth avoiding. Fearing to the point that progress cannot be made, fear getting in the way, sometimes that is the only thing impeding. Sometimes the only thing that needs to be worried about is fear, and without fear great things can happen.

But sometimes there's a bus hurtling down the road at a hundred and twenty miles an hour. Or there's a lion loose in the city, or mad axe murderers behind every tree (and you can see their axes).

And sometimes there are people that misuse quotes. Those I fear even more, for the bus or lion or made axe murderer can only harm me once. Passing on 'gems of wisdom' can hurt people for generations, as they try to live their lives in a way 'suggested' by great people. Or rather in a way misunderstood by the mediocre.

And you can quote me on that.