“It is the absence of facts that frightens people: the gap you open, into which they pour their fears, fantasies, desires.”
— Hilary Mantel
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“It is the absence of facts that frightens people: the gap you open, into which they pour their fears, fantasies, desires.” — Hilary Mantel. When life leaves us with unanswered questions, it's so easy to let our imaginations run wild with worry. How do you find calm and ground yourself when facing the unknown? Let's chat in the comments below! 👇✨
About this quote
Human nature has an enduring fear of the unknown. As Hilary Mantel wisely observes, when faced with an absence of facts, our minds rarely rest in peaceful emptiness; instead, we rush to fill the gap. In the quiet spaces where answers are missing, we often project our deepest anxieties, wildest fantasies, and hidden desires, unintentionally constructing monsters out of shadows simply because we cannot see what lies ahead. Yet, recognizing this tendency is the first step toward reclaiming our inner peace. Life is inherently uncertain, and we will constantly encounter blank spaces where closures, explanations, and guarantees are withheld. Rather than letting our fears consume those quiet gaps, we can choose to fill them with grace, patience, and self-compassion. Embracing the unknown doesn't mean having all the answers—it means finding the courage to breathe deeply when the story is still unwritten, trusting that light will eventually reach the shadows.
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Photo by Ivy Kleban on Unsplash
