Courage Quotes - Character Council

“Let’s have faith that right makes might; and in that faith let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”
-Abraham Lincoln

“The greatest test of courage is to bear defeat without losing heart.”
-Robert G. Ingersoll

“Courage is being scared to death…and saddling up anyway.”
-John Wayne

“There is nothing with which every man is so afraid as getting to know how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming.”
-Soren Kierkegaard

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
-Plato

“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out and meet it.”
-Pericles

“Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.”
-Sir Winston Churchill

“Don’t be afraid to do something just because it’s impossible.”
-Kobi Yamata

“A bold man is better in all things.”
-Homer’s Odyssey

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear ~ not the absence of fear.”
-Mark Twain

“To bear failure with courage is the best proof of character that anyone can give.”
-W. Somerset Maugham

“Courage conquers all things.”
-Ovid

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.”
-Marianne Williamson

“The great virtue in life is real courage that knows how to face facts and live beyond them.”
-D. H. Lawrence

“If you’re the kind of person who is scared and courageous at the same time, you might end up doing big things.”
-David Carr

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”
-Anaïs Nin

“Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it.”
-Pericles

“Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.”
-George S. Patton

“Deliberate with caution, but act with decision. Yield with graciousness, or oppose with firmness.”
-Charles Caleb Colton

“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”
-Edwin Land

“It takes courage to create a meaningful life of integrity. It also requires good company. And practice.”

-Shelly Francis

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
-Sir Winston Churchill

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”
-Joseph Campbell

How can you use Quotes?

Start a discussion: Quotes can start a discussion about a character trait at the beginning of a meeting or the dinner table. You can ask questions about what it means, how they have seen the trait demonstrated in their own lives, or how they can develop it themselves.
Provide a model: Quotes can provide a model of good character. When you read a quote from a famous person or historical figure, you show that people they admire also value the same character traits.
Use quotes as writing/journal prompts: Ask them to write a short essay about a quote to help them think more deeply about its implications for their lives.
Post quotes: You can post quotes where they will be seen/heard often – classroom, breakroom, lobby, dining room, email signatures, video bulletin boards, morning announcements, social media, etc.
Read quotes aloud: You can read quotes aloud to your children during mealtimes, bedtime, or any other time you spend together.
Make it fun: You can make it even more fun by incorporating games, activities, or crafts. Let children decorate signs with the quotes to hang in the classroom or a bedroom door. Record children saying it and post it on social media.