I was always afraid of dying. Always. It was my fear that made me learn everything I could about my airplane and my emergency equipment, and kept me flying respectful of my machine and always alert in the cockpit.
Interpretation
Fear can drive us to be better prepared and more aware in our pursuits.
In this quote, Chuck Yeager reflects on how his fear of dying motivated him to gain extensive knowledge about his airplane and safety equipment. This fear instilled a sense of respect for his machine and vigilance in his flying, illustrating how acknowledging one's fears can lead to personal growth and improvement in skills.
In practice
In a motivational speech about overcoming fears to achieve success.
I have flown in just about everything, with all kinds of pilots in all parts of the world - British, French, Pakistani, Iranian, Japanese, Chinese - and there wasn't a dime's worth of difference between any of them except for one unchanging, certain fact: the best, most skillful pilot has the most experience.
The best pilots fly more than the others; that's why they're the best.
There's no such thing as a natural-born pilot.
When I was picked to fly the X-1, it was my duty to fly it, and I did.
It wasn't that the X-1 would kill you, it was the systems in the X-1 that would kill you.
All that I am ... I owe to the Air Force.
For states that support terror, it is not enough that the consequences be costly-they must be devastating
Difficulties are made to be overcome ~ Miss Felicity Lemon, Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Plymouth Express
When I rest I feel utterly lifeless except that my throat burns when I draw breath... I can scarcely go on. No despair, no happiness, no anxiety. I have not lost the mastery of my feelings, there are actually no more feelings. I consist only of will. After each few metres this too fizzles out in unending tiredness. Then I think nothing. I let myself fall, just lie there. For an indefinite time I remain completely irresolute. Then I make a few steps again.
Being defiant can be a good thing sometimes," Aunty Ifeoma said. "Defiance is like marijuana - it is not a bad thing when it is used right.
We live in a country where people still get beaten to death because of their sexual orientation.
It is lawful and hath been held so through all ages for any one who have the power to call to account a tyrant or wicked king, and after due conviction to depose and put him to death.
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