There is nothing to fear, except fear itself may be a reference to a phrase from Franklin D. Roosevelt's inauguration speech in 1933. In that speech, Roosevelt said there is "nothing to fear but fear itself." This quotation is often misattributed to him. The truth is that it has never been attributed to anyone. It appears in print for the first time in an article by George E. Mowry in the January 1934 issue of History Today magazine. The article titled "FDR: The Man and His Work" also includes another famous saying of his - "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." These quotations are often paired together because they both come from President Roosevelt's inaugural address in March 1933. They are also both about fear, and they give the impression that what we should really be afraid of is fear itself -- which makes them complementary quotes. People have been quoting FDR ever since he became president.