Fear itself is suffering but what you fear may never happen. →

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Sometimes, suffering fear is more challenging than facing trouble. This brings another quote to mind by Napoleon Bonaparte:

“He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.”

As an example of fear compared to suffering, consider the person afraid of drowning. The person might have that fear come to mind whenever water is near. Perhaps just seeking a lake on TV or reading about people on a lake brings the fear of drowning to mind, and the person suffers that same fear. To drown in a lake would be terrible, but then it would be over and would end. The person who suffers from anxiety may never find an end to their torment.

Another example of where fear may be worse than the subject of fear happens to job seekers and those who need to change a career. They fear the informational interviews necessary to learn what is required, and they fear the hiring interviews and not being hired when they have a discussion. The fear prevents them from starting a process, and even when it is created, the anxiety can result in doing less than was needed.