A Psychological analysis of Fear in the Dehkhoda’s Proverbs

This study investigates fear in the Dehkhoda’s proverbs from a psychological point of view. To this end, it employs a method of inferential content analysis. The data concern all the Persian proverbs in Dehkhoda's four-volume book on proverbs. The findings show that, as in modern psychology, fear has positive and negative faces; this inconsistent attitude is also evident in Dehkhoda’s proverbs as well. In addition, the proverbs have not only addressed the concept of fear, but also the types of fear and their causes as well as the ways to overcome them in line with modern psychology. Thus, it is suggested to psychologists and counselors to use proverbs as a tool in pursuit of their goals, particularly so far as the behavioral changes are concerned.