The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt Not only can you find meaning in murals and art but you can also find meaning in quotes. A famous quote “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” was and still is a great inspiration the American people. In the 1930’s the country was in the depths of the Great Depressions with millions of people unemployed and barley surviving. Not only did FDR win the presidential election but also his Inauguration speech won over the hearts of the American people. His quote allowed them to have hope for the first time in years. The message within the quote “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” is that fear is the key factor in making the economic problem worse and that as a country we must stand together to solve the problems. This quote lifted the sprits and the economic growth of the country. This quote was said in FDR’s inauguration speech to the American people for the purpose to be optimistic and help the country out of the Great Depression. However, I believe that this quote can be used more than just in the context where it was used. Often people allow fear to stop them from achieving their goals. I am personally a victim of thinking in this way. However, when I heard this quote it inspired me that the only thing stopping me is my fear. It this quote impacted me and made me believe that we should not live in fear. If we become too afraid, we have no control over our lives. This quote inspires me to be bold and take chances in order to achieve my dreams. You cant live your life worrying about the negatives because you will never see the positive. This phrase is used to positively motive people to remain hopeful instead of giving up when said by FDR. It left an impact on people back then and even now to be optimistic and not allow fear to stand in your way. “I was broken and bruised Now I'm a warrior Now I've got thicker skin I'm a warrior I'm stronger than I've ever been” - Demi Lovato The song Warrior by Demi Lovato is a form of rhetoric. Rhetoric is the art of effective speaking or writing that has an impressive effect on its audience. I believe that music a great example of rhetoric. Music allows the artist to communicate qualities and values that are similar to ours through song. One song that has had an impressive effect on myself is the song Warrior by Demi Lovato. The song Warrior’s context was how Demi Lovato rose from the public ashes. She writes about her personal battles and struggles and promotes the message that everyone is stronger than what they believe. Demi Lovato shared this song to her fans to help them whenever they go through a hard time. This song inspired me and triggered one of my beliefs that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Everyone goes through hard patches in life and this song inspired me to believe that even celebrities have hard times and if they can get through it so can I. After listening to this song I realized the meaning to it. It made me realize that I can overcome any obstacle I put my way to and when there is bad there is a positive outcome to come. What I mean is that the negative things that are put in our way are just a speed bump that teach us a lesson. Song is a powerful way to connect with the audience to share a personal belief or value. When listening to the lyrics of a song you understand the true meaning and message the artist is trying to express. This powerful expression inspires people everyday with different lessons for them to understand and overcome the obstacles in their life. “Change yourself and the world will look a better place” – Michael Jackson Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson is another song that expresses a deep meaning. The context of this song is a montage of famous public figures and events that happened throughout history to express a bold social message. This song is not meant for a particular audience. However, I believe that this song was meant for the world to see. The purpose of this song was meant to inspire everyone to promote self-improvement. This is a compelling song about the idea that social change starts with you. The video portrays Ronald Regan, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Civil Rights Movement, protest against the Vietnam War, KKK rallies, and any other major important time in history in order to express the message about making a change. Not only did the song leave an influential impression on me however, the line “Change yourself and the world will look a better place. ” left the biggest impact on me. One of my main beliefs is that if we want a change in the world we have to change ourselves. The reason that the world can be such a harmful and hateful place is because of us. The only way to fix the world is get rid of all the hatred with each other and make peace. Look at yourself and make the change that will change the world and make it a better place. Michael Jackson inspired millions of people with this song during the 80’s and it is still influential today. The main purpose of music is to promote meaningful messages that inspire people to make the world a better place. I love this song and the value of it. If you truly sit and listen to the lyrics the song will be inspire you the same way it inspired me. This message should be shared with family and friends because it just takes one person to make a change. “Atticus said to Jem one day, "I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird." That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. "Your father’s right," she said. "Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird Rhetoric is also seen throughout novels. I believe certain passages throughout a novel can leave a huge impact on someone based on the message it portrays. To Kill a Mockingbird portrays many meanings throughout the novel however; one in particular stood out to me the most. The passage above left the biggest impression on me because I feel like it connected a lot of the messages throughout the novel. “It’s a sing to kill a mockingbird” has more of a meaning than just about Atticus disciplining his children. He is trying to express the message of innocence, something I strongly believe in. There is always good in the world even if it is destroyed by evil. The title and passage refer to the innocent people like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley who, like the mockingbird only wish to bring happiness into a harsh world. However, they are punished for their efforts and are chastised, shunned and unfortunately in Tom’s case, killed. The context of this novel was Monroeville, Alabama in 1926. The book portrays a society where hatred, prejudice, and ignorance destroy the innocent. The message portrayed is that the innocent that are not prepared for the evil that they encounter, are destroyed. The major point is to understand the evil in the world without losing faith in the human capacity for goodness.