Real Courage Quotes:

Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.

- Harper Lee

source: "To Kill a Mockingbird". Book by Harper Lee, community.sparknotes.com. July 11, 1960.

topic: Inspirational, Courage, Perseverance, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.

- Alan Cohen

topic: Life, Change, Meaningful, Courage To Change, Punishing Yourself

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.

- Harper Lee

topic: Real, Gun, Men, Jem And Scout, Kill A Mockingbird Memorable

The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

- Plato

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Positive, Afraid Of Life, Darkness To Light

Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught.

- J. C. Watts

topic: Integrity, Character, Thinking, Making Good Choices, Inspirational Character

Being negative is easy. There will always be a downside to everything good, a hurdle to everything desirable, a con to every pro. The real courage is in finding the good in what you have, the opportunities in every hurdle, the pros in every con.

- Carolyn Hax

source: "Carolyn Hax Live: Advice Columnist Tackles Your Problems". Live Discussion, www.washingtonpost.com. August 7, 2009.

topic: Real, Opportunity, Negative, Real Courage

Real courage is holding on to a still voice in your head that says, 'I must keep going.' It's that voice that says nothing is a failure if it is not final. That voice that says to you, 'Get out of bed. Keep going. I will not quit.'

- Cory Booker

source: "Most of all, be kind, Newark Mayor Cory Booker tells seniors at Class Day" by Susan Gonzalez, news.yale.edu. May 19, 2013.

topic: Graduation, Real, Voice, Real Courage

America is neither free nor brave, but a land of tight, iron-clanking little wills, everybody trying to put it over everybody else, and a land of men absolutely devoid of the real courage of trust, trust in life's sacred spontaneity. They can't trust life until they can control it.

- D. H. Lawrence

source: D.H. Lawrence (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of D.H. Lawrence (Illustrated)”, p.10167, Delphi Classics

topic: Life, Real, Men, Real Courage

The new school of art and thought does indeed wear an air of audacity, and breaks out everywhere into blasphemies, as if it required any courage to say a blasphemy. There is only one thing that it requires real courage to say, and that is a truism.

- Gilbert K. Chesterton

topic: Courage, Art, Real, Truism, Real Courage

Keep in mind that many people have died for their beliefs; it's actually quite common. The real courage is in living and suffering for what you believe.

- Christopher Paolini

source: Christopher Paolini (2014). “The Inheritance Cycle Complete Collection: Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance”, p.243, Knopf Books for Young Readers

topic: Courage, Real, Believe, Eragon, Real Courage

Your real courage shows best in the hour of adversity.

- Napoleon Hill

topic: Real, Adversity, Hours, Real Courage

Because it doesn't take much courage to fight when you still believe you can win.  What takes real courage is to keep fighting when all hope is gone.

- Matthew Polly

topic: Real, Believe, Fighting, Real Courage

If you set as your goal to roll back the size of government, you have an obligation to answer the tough questions and show real courage, not just appeal to ideology. Treat the voters like adults.

- Brian Baird

topic: Real, Government, Goal, Real Courage, Tough Questions

You risked your life, but what else have you ever risked? Have you risked disapproval? Have you ever risked economic security? Have you ever risked a belief? I see nothing particularly courageous about risking one's life. So you lose it, you go to your hero's heaven and everything is milk and honey 'til the end of time. Right? You get your reward and suffer no earthly consequences. That's not courage. Real courage is risking something that might force you to rethink your thoughts and suffer change and stretch consciousness. Real courage is risking one's clichés.

- Tom Robbins

topic: Real, Hero, Heaven, Still Life With Woodpecker, Economic Security

Real courage is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. Doing the unpopular thing because it's what you believe, and the heck with everybody.

- Justin Cronin

topic: Courage, Real, Believe, Real Courage

I many times encountered courage, real courage. Undeniable courage. I've heard it said that that was the highest quality of the human animal. I encountered that many times, in unexpected places. And I have learned to recognize it when I see it.

- Dorothea Lange

topic: Real, Animal, Quality, Real Courage, Unexpected Places

It's easy to pretend 'to be fierce and fearless because living your truth takes real courage. Real fearless and fierce women admit mistakes and they work to correct them. We stand up and we use our voices for things other than self promotion. We don't stand by and let racism and sexism and homophobia run rapid on our watch. Real fearless and fierce women complement other women and we recognize and embrace that their shine in no way diminishes our light and that it actually makes our light shine brighter.

- Gabrielle Union

topic: Running, Real, Mistake, Real Courage, Homophobia

You can always die. It's living that takes real courage." - Himura Kenshin

- Nobuhiro Watsuki

topic: Courage, Real, Real Courage

Are you willing to die for what you believe in? The real courage is in living and suffering for what you believe.

- Christopher Paolini

source: Christopher Paolini (2005). “Eragon”, Knopf Books for Young Readers

topic: Real, Believe, Suffering, Willing To Die, Real Courage

Real courage is not to give up hope, even in the most terrible darkness, and to carry on. That if courage and love is deep as despair, deeper, then light may come again

- David Clement-Davies

topic: Love, Giving Up, Real, Love And Courage, Real Courage

Do you think courage means being fearless? Or daring? Courage, real courage, is taking three steps when it terrifies you.

- Catherine Anderson

source: Catherine Anderson (2009). “Comanche Heart”, p.193, Penguin

topic: Fear, Real, Mean, Real Courage

I don't know if real courage lies in storming barricades or simply not denying the truth.

- Josh Lanyon

topic: Real, Lying, Barricades, Denying The Truth, Real Courage

Real courage embraces the twin realities of current difficulty and ultimate triumph.

- Max Lucado

source: Max Lucado (2012). “Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear”, p.157, Thomas Nelson Inc

topic: Real, Triumph, Twins, Real Courage

Real courage is knowing what faces you and knowing how to face it.

- Timothy Dalton

topic: Real, Knowing, Faces, Real Courage

The great virtue in life is real courage that knows how to face facts and live beyond them.

- D. H. Lawrence

topic: Courage, Real, Faces, Real Courage

I know what real courage is, and I understand true compassion.

- Mo Yan

source: "Mo Yan accepts Nobel prize, defends 'necessary' censorship" by Alison Flood, www.theguardian.com. December 11, 2012.

topic: Real, Compassion, Real Courage

Needless fear and panic over disease and misfortune that seldom materialize are simply bad habits. By proper ventilation and illumination of the mind it is possible to cultivate tolerance, poise and real courage.

- Elie Metchnikoff

topic: Fear, Real, Illumination, Real Courage, Ventilation

It takes real courage to do battle in the unspectacular task. We always listen for the applause of our co-workers. He is courageous who plods on, unlettered and unknown.... In the last analysis it is this courage, developing between man and his limitations, that brings success.

- Alice Foote MacDougall

topic: Real, Men, Battle, Real Courage, Co Worker

On sensitive issues, talk isn't cheap - it takes real courage to pry open topics nailed shut.

- Marvin Olasky

topic: Courage, Real, Issues, Real Courage

Perhaps those, who, trembling most, maintain a dignity in their fate, are the bravest: resolution on reflection is real courage.

- Horace Walpole

source: Horace Walpole (1822). “Memoires of the Last Ten years of the Reign of George the Second”, p.190

topic: Real, Fate, Reflection, Real Courage

you cannot confuse bravery or courage with lack of fear. Real courage, true bravery is doing things in spite of fear, knowing fear.

- Maia Wojciechowska

source: Maia Wojciechowska (2007). “Shadow of a Bull”, p.133, Simon and Schuster

topic: Courage, Real, Knowing, Real Courage