Fear suffering and you already suffer what you fear.

What it means

Montaigne, who suffered from painful kidney stones, refused to stretch the pain out with dread. Fear of an evil is an evil of its own. Feel the trouble when it comes, not before.

The source

"Fear suffering and you already suffer what you fear." Montaigne said it in Essays 3.13 (Of Experience). Translated from the original French by Spartan Surfers.

"Qui craint de souffrir, il souffre desia de ce qu'il craint."

Original French, Essays 3.13 (Of Experience). Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Montaigne (1533–1592). French magistrate who retired to his tower library and invented the essay. His motto was a question: What do I know?

Questions

What does "Fear suffering and you already suffer what you fear." mean?

Montaigne, who suffered from painful kidney stones, refused to stretch the pain out with dread. Fear of an evil is an evil of its own. Feel the trouble when it comes, not before.

Who said "Fear suffering and you already suffer what you fear."?

Montaigne (1533–1592). Source: Essays 3.13 (Of Experience).

What is the original French?

Qui craint de souffrir, il souffre desia de ce qu'il craint. Translated from the original French by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Fear suffering and you already suffer what you fear." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Fear suffering and you already suffer what you fear." (Montaigne, Essays 3.13 (Of Experience), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/fear-suffering-and-you-already-suffer-what-you