Quotes by theme

12 Quotes About Courage

Courage is not fearlessness — it is acting while afraid. These quotes, from warriors to philosophers, are about the daily, undramatic kind.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to ones courage.”

— Anais Nin Fear

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

— Nelson Mandela Fear

“Courage is grace under pressure.”

— Ernest Hemingway Fear

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

— Dale Carnegie Fear

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

— attributed to Goethe (actually W. H. Murray paraphrasing) Fear

“Vulnerability is not weakness. It is our most accurate measure of courage.”

— Brene Brown Relationships

“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.”

— Brené Brown The Power of No

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage — pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically — to say no to other things.”

— Stephen R. Covey The Power of No

“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”

— Seneca Stoicism

“I have three treasures which I hold and keep. The first is compassion. The second is frugality. The third is not daring to be ahead of others.”

— Lao Tzu The Tao

“The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.”

— Pema Chodron Tonglen

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

— Nelson Mandela Ubuntu