Some dangers are so spectacular and so much beyond normal experience that the mind refuses to accept them as real, and watches the approach of doom without any sense of apprehension. The man who looks at the onrushing tidal wave, the descending avalanche, or the spinning funnel of the tornado, yet makes no attempt to flee, is not necessarily paralyzed with fright or resigned to an unavoidable fate. He may simply be unable to believe that the message of his eyes concerns him personally. It is all happening to somebody else. . Arthur C. Clarke
About This Quote

People who are terrified of death are not necessarily cowards. They may be confused, or they may simply not understand the message that their eyes are sending them. This confusion can lead to terrifying feelings, but if you can recognize that you are witnessing an accident, the mind will relax and the body will relax too.

Source: 2010: Odyssey Two

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More Quotes By Arthur C. Clarke
  1. Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.
  2. I'm sure the universe is full of intelligent life. It's just been too intelligent to come here.
  3. A faith that cannot survive collision with the truth is not worth many regrets.
  4. But please remember: this is only a work of fiction. The truth, as always, will be far stranger.
  5. Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all.
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