I can't understand this saying.

Imran   Friday, March 26, 2004, 19:20 GMT
''The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.''
This is a famous saying of the US president '' Roosevelt''. Please explain it.
Chilli   Friday, March 26, 2004, 19:43 GMT
Fear in itself is dangerous because it debilitates. By this I mean that if you go into war terrified of what is going to happen, you have already halfway lost because oyu will not have the confidence in yourself to take opportunities, or strike out with determination. If you go into war confident and prepared and ready, you're already halfway there. (This is that whole glass-half-empty-half-full thing, I'm sure.)

So, in itself, fear can be dangerous because if you are afraid you might fail at something that you should have otherwise succeeded at.

Make any sense?
Boy   Saturday, March 27, 2004, 06:29 GMT
Chilli, it couldn't be explained better than that.
Ryan   Saturday, March 27, 2004, 18:25 GMT
Yeah, FDR couldn't have explained it better. LOL
dylan   Wednesday, March 31, 2004, 07:50 GMT
who was Roosevelt?
Cassie   Wednesday, March 31, 2004, 10:30 GMT
That was beautifully put!
Simon   Wednesday, March 31, 2004, 10:53 GMT
Flemish philosopher.
Danger Mouse   Thursday, April 01, 2004, 22:10 GMT
"Expect the unexpected." Eh?