At man's core there is a voice that wants him never to give in to fear. But if it is true that in general man cannot give in to fear, at the very least he postpones indefinitely the moment when he will have to confront himself with the object of his fear... when he will no longer have the assistance of reason as guaranteed by God, or when he will no longer have the assistance of God such as reason guaranteed. It is necessary to recoil, but it is necessary to leap, and perhaps one only recoils in order to leap better.

Summary

This quote suggests that deep within every person, there is an inner voice urging them to refuse to be controlled by fear. However, it acknowledges that while humans may inherently resist fear, they often delay confronting their fears directly. They rely on reason, which is a gift from a higher power – either God or reason itself, depending on one's beliefs – to navigate their fears. It emphasizes the importance of temporarily retreating from fear to regroup and then taking a courageous leap forward, as if the momentary recoiling ultimately leads to a stronger and more effective leap towards their goals or overcoming their fears.

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