"I won't allow myself to have tremendous fear"
About this Quote
The modesty of “tremendous” does a lot of work. He doesn’t claim fearlessness (a suspicious pose in any creative field); he draws a line at the kind of fear that paralyses. That boundary makes the statement credible and functional: a professional’s attitude, not a hero’s slogan. It also suggests a life spent negotiating exposure. Klein’s career was repeatedly defined by controversy and provocation, from minimalist branding to ads that dared audiences to clutch pearls. In that context, “tremendous fear” is the enemy of experimentation, the feeling that makes you retreat into safe, saleable sameness.
Subtextually, it’s also a quiet comment on power. Designers sell an image of confidence; admitting terror outright would puncture the aura. So Klein offers something cooler: discipline. Not the absence of doubt, but the refusal to let it become the dominant silhouette.
Quote Details
| Topic | Fear |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Klein, Calvin. (2026, January 17). I won't allow myself to have tremendous fear. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-wont-allow-myself-to-have-tremendous-fear-24412/
Chicago Style
Klein, Calvin. "I won't allow myself to have tremendous fear." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-wont-allow-myself-to-have-tremendous-fear-24412/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I won't allow myself to have tremendous fear." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-wont-allow-myself-to-have-tremendous-fear-24412/. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.






