Where Your Fear is, There is your Task – Carl Jung

Where your fear is there is your task: An exploration of a lovely quote from Carl Jung – fear, its importance and the ability to show its place in our lives. This post is a quote analysis of respect for fear, its helpful place in achieving our goals, etc. As much as fear is a distraction, it is also a very helpful resource if used properly.

Where your fear is, there is your task!

Carl Jung

Most times, we’re told to either ignore the fear and distract ourselves or deny it. But it is as true as any other emotion. In the end, fear is just telling us something. The best thing we can do is understand what this fear means. Once you know that, you can start working towards creating a strategy and solutions for the challenge.

Related: Do one thing every day that scares you meaning

Where your fear is there is your task meaning

As much as I love the enthusiasm, romanticism and kick of motivation in this quote, I do have to take it with a pinch of salt in our quote analysis. Yes, there is often great joy in defeating our fears and taking full control of them. Also, there is a part of me that says – “Hang on a minute! Before jumping in, let’s assess the reality of this fear!”

The main points which define the meaning of where your fear is there is your task are:

Everyone has fears, anxieties and stresses in life:

Fears are not isolated to one person. Everyone feels afraid. But what we do about this fear makes the biggest difference.

Addressing our fears, and facing them head-on is the most important task: Face your fears! Fight these brutes heads on or else they keep growing and taking over life.

Facing fears helps us gain confidence, reduce their impact and improve our lives:

We can’t face all our fears at once. But we need to build confidence and grow strong. The best way to do this is by fighting smaller fears and becoming stronger to take on the big ones.

Fears can tell us what to do next and where to focus on and why:

Fear is an important signal. It tells us what impacts and hurts the most. Instead of running away from fear, we can listen to it. Where there is fear, there’s our task. In fact, fear is telling us to do something about it.

Fear is an opportunity for us to grow, expand and continuously move forward in life:

And finally, fear is an opportunity. Instead of becoming the victim, we can try to find a way around it. Fight these fears and move forward. This learning and opportunity helps you grow, expand and become even better.

In essence, the central meaning of the quote – where your fear is there is your task tells us to find the purpose of fear and act on it. The only way fear grows is when we don’t do anything about it. The best way is to start taking action and control to dissipate this fear.

Listen to your fears, Do your task

A primary question, I have to ask about fears is about its viability. If we go by the simple logic of understanding our emotions, I would like to paraphrase Tony Robbins – emotion is a signal for action. 

I would classify Fear as a natural response. It might be because you are doing something new. In that case, it can be classified as excitement – It could be a sense of loss, for instance, if you are making a decision, this fear might be asking you to reconsider. This may even be a warning to see check whether you are prepared for reasonable loss – It might be nerves, it could simply be a message of you doing something new and your mind needing preparation for the same. Dig a little deeper and understand what this fear means.

Ultimately, the best benefit you get is by being curious about your fears. These fears are powerful emotions and most usually carry a strong message. We can ignore it only at our peril.