--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Courage is not the absence of fear…" description: "\"“Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is a determination that there is something more important than fear.”\" — David Paul Kirkpatrick" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/david-paul-kirkpatrick-12013_courage_courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear-coura_355243.jpg" --- # Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is a… ![“Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is a determination that there is something more important than fear.” quote by David Paul Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/david-paul-kirkpatrick-12013_courage_courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear-coura_355243.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/david-paul-kirkpatrick-12013_courage_courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear-coura_355243.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/david-paul-kirkpatrick-12013_courage_courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear-coura_355243.jpg) > ““Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is a determination that there is something more important than fear.”” [David Paul Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-paul-kirkpatrick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Courage means acting despite fear because something else matters more. **In simple terms:** Courage is acting despite fear. Key Takeaway Prioritize purpose over fear. Themes courage fear purpose Mood determined inspired Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - leadership - personal growth - risk taking Key Concepts determination values psychology Questions to Reflect On - What matters more than your fear? - How can you act when fear is strong? A Different Perspective Courage can still be paralyzed by overwhelming fear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ## Related quotes > [Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is action in spite of fear. Courageous people never really overcome their fears. They just become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-myers/courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear-courage-is-action-in-spite-of-fear/) Jeff Myers > [“Courage is not the absence of fear; only a fool has no fear. 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Along that river is the tree of heaven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-paul-kirkpatrick/there-is-a-river-whose-streams-make-glad-the-city-of-love-along-that/) [David Paul Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-paul-kirkpatrick/) [Explore all 57 David Paul Kirkpatrick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-paul-kirkpatrick/) ## More Courage quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. 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A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/) [Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/) > [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. Having purpose in your life gives you the courage to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/when-you-heed-the-calling-of-your-heart-you-are-following-your/) [Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/) > [“Of all the train, none escaped except Wamba, who showed upon the occasion much more courage than those who pretended to greater sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/of-all-the-train-none-escaped-except-wamba-who-showed-upon-the/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“There is nothing purer, braver, or more beautiful than the try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-armstrong/there-is-nothing-purer-braver-or-more-beautiful-than-the-try/) Kristen Armstrong > [“One theory on cannibals, of course, is that they eat parts of their slain enemies to benefit from that person's greatest assets - their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-powell/one-theory-on-cannibals-of-course-is-that-they-eat-parts-of-their/) [Julie Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-powell/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [I have pictures with Morimoto where I'm all embarrassed and he's so serious, it took me 30 minutes to get up the courage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcela-valladolid/i-have-pictures-with-morimoto-where-i-m-all-embarrassed-and-he-s-so/) [Marcela Valladolid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcela-valladolid/) [Browse all 14,559 Courage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Courage is not the absence of fear. 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