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Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway.
John Wayne
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Courage involves feeling fear but choosing to act despite that fear.

This quote by John Wayne emphasizes that true courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to confront one’s fears and move forward regardless of them. It suggests that even when faced with overwhelming fear, one can still take action and pursue their goals, which is a testament to the strength of character and resilience.

Themes

CourageFearActionResilienceStrength

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech about overcoming challenges.

More from John Wayne

Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.
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I've always followed my father's advice: he told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally. If I insult you, you can be goddamn sure I intend to. And, third, he told me not to go around looking for trouble.
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Talk low, talk slow and don't say too much.
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Republic. I like the sound of the word. It means people can live free, talk free, go or come, buy or sell, be drunk or sober, however they choose. Some words give you a feeling.
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In my acting, I have to identify with something in the character. The big tough boy on the side of right - that's me. Simple themes. Same me from the nuances. All I do is sell sincerity and I've been selling the hell out of that ever since I started.
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I'm not the sort to back away from a fight. I don't believe in shrinking from anything. It's not my speed; I'm a guy who meets adversities head on.
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It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.
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When all usefulness is over, when one is assured of an unavoidable and imminent death, it is the simplest of human rights to choose a quick and easy death in place of a slow and horrible one.
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I grew up a skinny Asian kid who was often ignored or picked on. It stuck with me and branded my soul. As I grew up, I tried to stick up for whoever seemed excluded or marginalized.
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A real man will never let his fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to his country, and his innate manhood.
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