Those who cannot temper their fears by reason Meaning Factcheck Usage
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Those who cannot temper their fears by reason will find themselves paralyzed in life and investing. It’s the ultimate key to separating emotional reactions from smart decisions, something I’ve seen make or break portfolios.

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Table of Contents

Meaning

At its core, this is about one thing: not letting your primal fear make your important life decisions for you.

Explanation

Look, I’ve been in the trenches with investors for years. And the single biggest differentiator between those who build lasting wealth and those who get wiped out isn’t some secret algorithm. It’s this. It’s the ability to hit the pause button when the market is crashing or euphoric and apply cold, hard logic. Your amygdala is screaming “SELL EVERYTHING!” or “BUY THAT HOT STOCK!” and reason is the part of your brain that calmly asks, “What do the fundamentals say?” Without that, you’re just a passenger on an emotional rollercoaster. And let me tell you, that’s a ride that never ends well.

Quote Summary

ContextAttributes
Original LanguageEnglish (4111)
CategoryPersonal Development (740)
Topicsfear (103), mindset (145), reason (8)
Literary Stylephilosophical (470), reflective (256)
Emotion / Moodencouraging (325), serious (173)
Overall Quote Score82 (320)
Reading Level70
Aesthetic Score82

Origin & Factcheck

This wisdom comes straight from Benjamin Graham’s 1949 masterpiece, “The Intelligent Investor,” written in the United States. It’s often, and rightly, considered the bible of value investing. You won’t find this one falsely attributed to Buffett, though he was Graham’s most famous student and lived by this principle.

Attribution Summary

ContextAttributes
AuthorBenjamin Graham (48)
Source TypeBook (4592)
Source/Book NameThe Intelligent Investor (48)
Origin TimeperiodModern (866)
Original LanguageEnglish (4111)
AuthenticityVerified (4592)

Author Bio

Benjamin Graham, well known for investing community has brought investing to masses by focussing on analysis and risk control. After graduating from Columbia University, co-founded the Graham Newman Corporation. Benjamin Graham book list covers Security Analysis and The Intelligent Investor which shaped many generations of professionals. He is regarded as a mentor to Warren Buffett as his ideas form the basis of value investing.

Where is this quotation located?

QuotationThose who cannot temper their fears by reason will suffer from them all their lives
Book DetailsPublication Year/Date: 1949; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 978-0060555665; Last edition: Revised Edition by Jason Zweig (2006), 640 pages.
Where is it?Chapter 8, Approximate page 207 from 2006 edition

Authority Score90

Context

Graham wasn’t just writing a theory. He was writing a survival guide for the individual investor after living through the Great Depression and countless market cycles. He’d seen how panic and greed could destroy people. This quote is the philosophical bedrock of his entire method—the “Mr. Market” allegory is basically this idea personified.

Usage Examples

This isn’t just for finance. It’s a life hack.

  • For the Nervous Investor: When the news is all doom and gloom and your portfolio is down, this is your mantra. It’s the reason you have a disciplined strategy in the first place, so you don’t sell at the bottom.
  • For the Ambitious Professional: Terrified of asking for a raise or launching that new project? Temper that fear of rejection with reason. What’s the data? What’s the realistic worst-case scenario? Usually, it’s not as bad as the fear makes it out to be.
  • For Anyone Making a Big Decision: Buying a house, changing careers, even having a difficult conversation. Let reason be the filter for the “what if” chaos that fear creates.

To whom it appeals?

ContextAttributes
ThemeWisdom (1939)
Audiencescoaches (1342), investors (195), leaders (2927), psychologists (202), students (3457)
Usage Context/Scenarioemotional resilience workshops (1), motivational seminars (65), personal growth sessions (45), psychology classes (24)

Share This Quote Image & Motivate

Motivation Score80
Popularity Score85
Shareability Score88

FAQ

Question: Is this quote just about being unemotional?

Answer: Not at all. It’s not about having no fear—that’s impossible. It’s about “tempering” it, which means using reason as a counterbalance. Acknowledging the fear but not letting it drive.

Question: How do you actually “temper” fear with reason?

Answer: You create systems. For an investor, it’s a pre-defined checklist or a dollar-cost averaging plan. For life, it’s a pros-and-cons list or consulting a trusted, logical advisor. The system does the reasoning for you when your brain is too clouded by emotion.

Question: Who is the main audience for this advice?

Answer: Honestly? Everyone. But it’s absolutely critical for anyone whose decisions have significant consequences—investors, entrepreneurs, leaders, and parents.

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