There is no such thing as bravery; only degrees of fear.

There is no such thing as bravery; only degrees of fear.

The coward calls the brave man rash, the rash man calls him a coward.

The coward calls the brave man rash, the rash man calls him a coward.

No man can be brave who thinks pain the greatest evil; nor
temperate, who considers pleasure the highest god.
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No man can be brave who thinks pain the greatest evil; nor
temperate, who considers pleasure the highest god.
[Lat., Fortis vero, dolorem summum malum judicans; aut temperans,
voluptatem summum bonum statuens, esse certe nullo modo potest.]

Brave men are all vertebrates; they have their softness on the
surface and their toughness in the middle.

Brave men are all vertebrates; they have their softness on the
surface and their toughness in the middle.

How sleep the brave, who sink to rest,
By all their country's wishes blest!
. . . read more

How sleep the brave, who sink to rest,
By all their country's wishes blest!
. . . .
By fairy hands their knell is rung,
By forms unseen their dirge is sung.

At the bottom of a good deal of the bravery that appears in the world there lurks a miserable cowardice. read more

At the bottom of a good deal of the bravery that appears in the world there lurks a miserable cowardice. Men will face powder and steel because they cannot face public opinion.

Firemen are going to get killed. When they join the department they face that fact. When a man becomes a read more

Firemen are going to get killed. When they join the department they face that fact. When a man becomes a fireman his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. What he does after that is all in the line of work. They were not thinking of getting killed when they went where death lurked. They went there to put the fire out, and got killed. Firefighters do not regard themselves as heroes because they do what the business requires.

Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid.

Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid.

Song of the brave, how thrills thy tone
As when the Organ's music rolls;
No gold rewards, read more

Song of the brave, how thrills thy tone
As when the Organ's music rolls;
No gold rewards, but song alone,
The deeds of great and noble souls.
[Ger., Hoch klingt das Lied vom braven Mann,
Wie Orgelton und Glockenklang;
Wer hohes Muths sich ruhmen kann
Den lohnt nicht Gold, den lohnt Gesang.]