Nothing gives a fearful man more courage than another's fear. — Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Nothing gives a fearful man more courage than another's fear.

Author: Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Insight: There's something almost paradoxical about how fear works in groups. When you're nervous about something—a difficult conversation, a new situation, a risky decision—and you notice someone else is equally or more nervous, something shifts inside you. Suddenly you're not drowning alone. That other person's trembling hands or hesitant voice becomes permission for your own hesitation. And once you feel less alone in your fear, you often feel braver. This shows up everywhere if you notice it. The person who speaks up first in a meeting, even stumbling over their words, makes it easier for others to contribute. A friend admitting they don't know how to do something makes you less ashamed to ask for help. Parents who show their kids they're scared sometimes—that they try things anyway—raise children less paralyzed by fear. The trick is that this works both ways. Your willingness to be imperfect, to admit uncertainty, or to try something difficult doesn't just help you. It's actually contagious courage. It tells other people that fear isn't disqualifying. And when enough people realize that, fear stops looking like an obstacle and starts looking like just part of the journey.

Source: Seneca, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, Letter XIII, section 12