Ann Hood Quotes

Being a parent is weird. It changes people in subtle and unsubtle ways. In my case, it awoke a kind of manic sentinel in my brain. Anything in the house that might be a threat to the kids or to my wife gets terminated - food, sharp edges, poor wiring.

I don't plan on ever letting my daughters date. I'm going to try to do everything I can to prevent it. You know, it just terrifies me. It just terrifies me.

So in some ways my life, my background has been isolating and I think I'm a bit more scared as a person. I don't walk alone or in the dark. If I go out the driver will wait for me to go into the house.

The world is enormously dangerous and scary. I worry very much for my daughter. I'm not sure we're in control any more, and I think the Internet is partly responsible for that.

When someone is always looking over their shoulder, they're more likely to trip.

The step between prudence and paranoia is short and steep. Prudence wears a seat belt. Paranoia avoids cars. Prudence washes with soap. Paranoia avoids human contact. Prudence saves for old age. Paranoia hoards even trash. Prudence prepares and plans, paranoia panics. Prudence calculates the risk and takes the plunge. Paranoia never enters the water.

When you're a mom, you learn about fear. You're always afraid. Always. About everything from cupboard doors to kidnappers to weather.

Plus, I am paranoid by nature. I need to be in control.

I think everybody knows they have to be vigilant with their children. I don't have anything profound to say on that subject. We all know that we have to watch the children. The question is when does it become absolute paranoia?

I think paranoia can be instructive in the right doses. Paranoia is a skill.

Hesitation increases in relation to risk in equal proportion to age.

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.

Fear is the foundation of safety.

I love driving, but sometimes, I'm not too good at it because I spend too much time looking in the rearview mirror if I know I'm being followed. You don't respond like, 'Oh, there's paparazzi.' It's more like, 'There's a man, and he's going to attack me.' That's how your body responds.

Fear has been my biggest friend. Fear of the unknown. Whenever I've been afraid, I've been very self-protective.

The thinner the ice, the more anxious is everyone to see whether it will bear.

He that fears danger in time seldom feels it.

Anything can be justified by security.

The way to feel safe is never to feel secure.

I've never been able to understand how risk-averse my mum is. She hated conkers, pea shooters, and anything that could have someone's eye out: skipping, swinging on your chair, talking with your mouth full.

We cannot play with fear nor with too much confidence.

Fear will make you stingy.

I fear for the lives of my daughters. I am uncertain about what kind of future they will face.

You would not get out of bed in the morning if you were constantly worrying about the possibility of something happening to you on your way to work. But it is still something to pay attention to, I think.

With everything I do, there always seems to be a massive risk involved.