“Taking a new step... is what people fear most.”

This repeated emphasis on the fear of change highlights it as the single greatest barrier to human potential and social progress. It suggests that while we claim to want better lives, we are often psychologically "hooked" on the familiarity of our current misery. In modern career coaching, this quote is used to push individuals past the "plateau" of their comfort zone and into the growth that only comes from risk. Entrepreneurs share this today to remind themselves that the feeling of fear is often a sign that they are doing something truly new and important. Dostoevsky himself took many "new steps" throughout his life, including surviving a mock execution that radically changed his outlook on existence. When you feel the urge to retreat into the familiar, remember that your greatest growth lies on the other side of that "new step."