What did FDR mean by his Quote, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"?

Question

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itslef."
I know what he meant, but I turn it into words. I've been working on a project about him for hours and my brain has just about died.

Answer 1

Simply that we can only be defeated if we are afraid. If we are not afraid, we have nothign to hinder our abilities. Therefore, if you must be afraid of anything, it should be fear.

Answer 2

um i guess it's if you don't fear fear your have nothing to fear but if you do fear it then you can't try new things

The only thing to fear is fear itself speaks to the idea that fear can paralyze one from progress, from moving forward, from succeeding, despite any challenges. We need not fear tomorrow or the next day. The only thing we should be afraid of (and thus rebuff) is that fear which keeps us mired in self-pity and loss. If we can overcome that, we can move forward.

I'd say that what FDR meant is something like this. I'm adding a lot of what I think he left unsaid.

"Although the current situation may be bad, there's nothing to be afraid of. We'll be okay. The only thing we need to be afraid of is what will happen if we start being too frightened. If we let that happen, we'll do many unwise things just because we're afraid."

Answer 3

Fdr Nothing To Fear

Answer 4

Fear can make a person weak and incapable of making wise and just decisions. When afraid, do not bend or back away. Step fore ward and meet that adversary... be it a person or an entire nation. Only then will you realize your power and strength. And your adversary will realize it as well. The masters of this were FDR and Harry Truman.

Answer 5

That was an FDR quote during one of
his famous radio "fireside chats"
He sought to calm the American people
who were alarmed by WWII events.

Ironically, we had more to fear in that
era than we do today.
We were late getting into the war. We
were not prepared for war. And as it
turned out, we only beat Adolf to the
A-Bomb by about 6 months.

We had air raid drills in school. Black out
drills at home, and headlights painted
half black in case we were hit with another
Pearl Harbor.

Good luck with your project.

Answer 6

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RE:
What did FDR mean by his Quote, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"?
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itslef."
I know what he meant, but I turn it into words. I've been working on a project about him for hours and my brain has just about died.

Answer 7

Yet our distress comes from no failure of substance. We are stricken by no plague of locusts. Compared with the perils which our forefathers conquered because they believed and were not afraid, we have still much to be thankful for. Nature still offers her bounty and human efforts have multiplied it. Plenty is at our doorstep, but a generous use of it languishes in the very sight of the supply. Primarily this is because the rulers of the exchange of mankind’s goods have failed, through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence, have admitted their failure, and abdicated. Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men.

he was speaking of the depression,,which was one of the most unkind periods in history..

Answer 8

He means that we should not fear everything that we think is scary or in our way, but to look fear in the face. Like if u were afraid of spiders its not the spiders u should be afraid of its fear u should be afraid of. it does crazy things.

Answer 9

fear comes from the lack of understanding. to learn about and understand, strips away the fear of not knowing.
you may still not like something, but it will not be out of fear and ignorance.

Answer 10

well he probably meant that we dont have anything to worry about. All we need is courage and strength for the war.
He was trying to persuade America that everything was going to be alright. That he was going to lead us out of the Depression or war or whatever he was referring to.