Talk:the only thing one should fear is fear itself

RFD discussion: August 2017–January 2018
I can see why someone would create this as a proverb. But it seems to be more of a quote than a proverb, like you can't always get what you want. --WF on Holiday (talk) 15:09, 9 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Delete. Not a proverb, just a misquotation of Franklin D. Roosevelt. —Aɴɢʀ (talk) 15:13, 9 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Delete . I think the description isn't even right. It means something along the lines of "There is nothing to be afraid of, you can do this". This actually does appear to be a NISOP. Possibly some common wisdom, which is still no dictionary material. W3ird N3rd (talk) 17:50, 9 August 2017 (UTC)


 * This has 1 Google Books hit, whereas the only thing to fear is fear itself has thousands. Equinox ◑ 18:40, 9 August 2017 (UTC)


 * Keep and move this modern proverb to the more common form. It might need a US label. DCDuring (talk) 00:41, 10 August 2017 (UTC)


 * Agree that it's not really what I'd call a proverb, but people might think it is and expect to find it in Wiktionary. Move to the correct wording, per DCDuring, and link to Wikiquote.  P Aculeius (talk) 23:09, 10 August 2017 (UTC)
 * I've striken out my vote because DCDuring and P Aculeius made some good points. I abstain from voting for now. (might change my mind if other arguments arise) W3ird N3rd (talk) 00:00, 11 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Added new sense. I still think the original description (Implying one should not be afraid of the things that go on in the world) is rubbish. Improving on what I said earlier: "Whatever you are afraid of is not wat disturbs you, it is the fear itself that disturbs you.". I vote to keep. (and remove the original "things that go on in the world" sense) As for moving, I don't know. If this is considered a proverb it should be moved to the core of the most common form. (whatever that may be) If it's considered something people could mistake for a proverb and expect to find to here, it should be moved to the actual quote and have proper etymology/wikiquote added. W3ird N3rd (talk) 00:59, 11 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Delete. We are not Wikiquote. —Μετάknowledge discuss/deeds 01:04, 11 August 2017 (UTC)
 * You guys often tend to think that just because it originated from the quote always means that any person who says it afterwards is mentioning the quote. Without mentioning Franklin D. Roosevelt and completely outside the context of him when using this quote, citations of this phrase are acceptable. Definite keep. Seriously, people, try REALLY hard to understand the difference between the mentioning of a quote and using said phrase that originated from the quote outside the context of the quote. PseudoSkull (talk) 09:50, 11 August 2017 (UTC)

Weak Keep. Seems to have sufficiently lost its association with the original quote and become more of a saying/proverb. I'm not fully convinced it isn't SOP, however. (Also, I agree with W3ird N3rd's assessment of the current definition.) Andrew Sheedy (talk) 17:30, 11 August 2017 (UTC)
 * There is a subtle difference between "the only thing one should fear is fear itself" (you should fear nothing at all with the exception you are allowed to fear having fears) and the meaning that ultimately comes down to "fear cripples you". It's not fully SoP but not completely illogical either. W3ird N3rd (talk) 20:42, 11 August 2017 (UTC)


 * Not dictionary material. Delete or redefine the project. Mihia (talk) 23:53, 12 August 2017 (UTC)
 * It is not literal, so it is not easily sum of parts. But is it a "modern proverb", as DCD says? I don't know. has only one hit that says 'I had always heard and turned a deaf ear to a proverb—the only thing one should fear is fear itself.' At the very least, this should be moved to the only thing to fear is fear itself; . But should "the only thing to fear is fear itself" be kept? I don't know. --Dan Polansky (talk) 17:55, 4 September 2017 (UTC)
 * Delete. --Barytonesis (talk) 14:54, 30 September 2017 (UTC)
 * Delete: As noted above, the variation the only thing to fear is fear itself has about 2,000 Google Books results (I double-checked), but it's still SOP and can be understood as the + only + thing + to + fear + is + fear + itself. I like monkeys too has about 2,000 results and we don't want it. --Daniel Carrero (talk) 08:42, 26 November 2017 (UTC)
 * Deleted. Any translation of this quote belongs to Wikiquote.--Jusjih (talk) 19:01, 4 January 2018 (UTC)