--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always thought I was brave, but now I…" description: "\"“I always thought I was brave, but now I realize it it was only because there was never anything I really needed go be scared of.”\" — Eileen Cook" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/eileen-cook-8489_brave_i-always-thought-i-was-brave-but-now-i-r_1155219.jpg" --- # I always thought I was brave, but now I realize it it was… ![“I always thought I was brave, but now I realize it it was only because there was never anything I really needed go be scared of.” quote by Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/eileen-cook-8489_brave_i-always-thought-i-was-brave-but-now-i-r_1155219.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/eileen-cook-8489_brave_i-always-thought-i-was-brave-but-now-i-r_1155219.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/eileen-cook-8489_brave_i-always-thought-i-was-brave-but-now-i-r_1155219.jpg) > ““I always thought I was brave, but now I realize it it was only because there was never anything I really needed go be scared of.”” [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Bravery often stems from lacking real threats; perceived fear fades when challenges are trivial. **In simple terms:** Bravery can be a lack of real danger. Key Takeaway Recognize when fear is unfounded. Themes courage self‑awareness perception growth mindset Mood empowering thoughtful Type self‑help motivational When to use this quote - Public speaking - career changes - adventure sports - personal challenges Key Concepts Psychology of fear self‑assessment personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What fears are truly limiting you? - How can you differentiate real danger from imagined? A Different Perspective Dismissal of genuine risks can be reckless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Stay strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-strong/) ## Related quotes > [“You have more power than you know, Samantha. You just have to be brave enough to realize it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-mather/you-have-more-power-than-you-know-samantha-you-just-have-to-be-brave/) [Adriana Mather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-mather/) > [“Terrible thought she was brave. She remembered it now, heard his voice in her head as if he stood next to her. "They scared.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/terrible-thought-she-was-brave-she-remembered-it-now-heard-his-voice/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [When I was younger, I never thought I'd be brave enough to go and play abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-duggan/when-i-was-younger-i-never-thought-i-d-be-brave-enough-to-go-and-play/) [Toni Duggan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-duggan/) > [Some have been thought brave because they were afraid to run away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-have-been-thought-brave-because-they-were-afraid-to-run-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['Brave' is one of those words that has been bleached of most of its meaning these days, thanks to far too many appearances in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/brave-is-one-of-those-words-that-has-been-bleached-of-most-of-its/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [“She thought she was brave, but she did not have that kind of courage. To face the men who controlled the torturers, the lists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-ryman/she-thought-she-was-brave-but-she-did-not-have-that-kind-of-courage/) [Geoff Ryman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-ryman/) > [Some have been thought brave because they didnt have the courage to run away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/some-have-been-thought-brave-because-they-didnt-have-the-courage-to/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [I always thought I could be brave and charge at things and smash 'em and walk away, but it takes courage to sit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/i-always-thought-i-could-be-brave-and-charge-at-things-and-smash-em/) [Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/) > [Until that moment she had never thought she could do it. Never thought she would be brave enough or scared enough, or desperate enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/until-that-moment-she-had-never-thought-she-could-do-it-never-thought/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I used to take it personally when a casting director didn't like me or I didn't get picked for something. Now I realize you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sierra-mccormick/i-used-to-take-it-personally-when-a-casting-director-didn-t-like-me/) Sierra McCormick > [I had always functioned with dignity, wanting to appear intelligent, macho, never vulnerable or insecure. But now I realize that... a part of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/i-had-always-functioned-with-dignity-wanting-to-appear-intelligent/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [“And I am overwhelmed now by the awfulness of over-simplification. For now I realize that not only have I been guilty of it through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-macleod/and-i-am-overwhelmed-now-by-the-awfulness-of-over-simplification-for/) [Alistair MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-macleod/) > [“The first language humans had was gestures. There was nothing primitive about this language that flowed from people’s hands, nothing we say now that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/the-first-language-humans-had-was-gestures-there-was-nothing/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [“Whatand why were never questions for me. How was the only question. When I look back now, I realize that I never thought about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/whatand-why-were-never-questions-for-me-how-was-the-only-question/) [Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/) > [“I've been thinking a lot about the word "everything." Whenever something horrible happens, you hear people say they "lost everything." They lost their house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-brown/i-ve-been-thinking-a-lot-about-the-word-everything-whenever-something/) [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) ## More by Eileen Cook > [“Is it so bad to want something that you know is wrong?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/is-it-so-bad-to-want-something-that-you-know-is-wrong/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“The camera lets me see things in a different way. It's like I finally have perspective. I can't always say stuff right in words.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/the-camera-lets-me-see-things-in-a-different-way-it-s-like-i-finally/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“Maybe sometimes you have to take a risk without worrying about the potential disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/maybe-sometimes-you-have-to-take-a-risk-without-worrying-about-the/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“I wasn't sure which was worse - to know you were a liar or to believe your own bullshit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/i-wasn-t-sure-which-was-worse-to-know-you-were-a-liar-or-to-believe/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“The mother was holding a baby, had a stroller with what looked like twin girls around three, and had a five-year-old boy who was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/the-mother-was-holding-a-baby-had-a-stroller-with-what-looked-like/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“Has is occurred to you that they're the same and you're the one who's different?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/has-is-occurred-to-you-that-they-re-the-same-and-you-re-the-one-who-s/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“I am so sorry. I'm more sorry than I've ever been in my life. I don't mind being on restriction and having to clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/i-am-so-sorry-i-m-more-sorry-than-i-ve-ever-been-in-my-life-i-don-t/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“When you're seventeen and the only friend you have in town is a stuffed animal that doesn't even belong to you, I think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/when-you-re-seventeen-and-the-only-friend-you-have-in-town-is-a/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“Nicole put on a frowny face and leaned forward for maximum cleavage exposure. Nathaniel looked. Of course he looked. She practically was shaking her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/nicole-put-on-a-frowny-face-and-leaned-forward-for-maximum-cleavage/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“There really isn't a good way to tell a relative stranger that you think dead people are trying to tell you something. It's personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/there-really-isn-t-a-good-way-to-tell-a-relative-stranger-that-you/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“Looks to me like you need help. Do you know that you're wearing Thursday panties and today's Monday?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/looks-to-me-like-you-need-help-do-you-know-that-you-re-wearing/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“If someone were crushed to death trying to get a frosty can of Diet Coke, it wouldn't be my fault. I'd tried to raise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/if-someone-were-crushed-to-death-trying-to-get-a-frosty-can-of-diet/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“Destiny is like a boulder. Bulky and hard to move. Its easier to leave it alone than to try to change it. But that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/destiny-is-like-a-boulder-bulky-and-hard-to-move-its-easier-to-leave/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“If you don't seize the opportunity, how do you know what will happen? Sometimes you have to take the chance”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/if-you-don-t-seize-the-opportunity-how-do-you-know-what-will-happen/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“You should step out of the box more often. See what the world has to offer.” “I stepped out of the box the night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/you-should-step-out-of-the-box-more-often-see-what-the-world-has-to/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) [Explore all 80 Eileen Cook quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) ## More Brave quotes > [In the current climate, things that are true, brave human stories become political.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/in-the-current-climate-things-that-are-true-brave-human-stories/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [If You Love Someone, Be Brave Enough To Tell Them., Otherwise Be Brave Enough To Watch Them To Be Loved By Someone Else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-zahoor/if-you-love-someone-be-brave-enough-to-tell-them-otherwise-be-brave/) [Bilal Zahoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-zahoor/) > [Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be brave. Therefore do not take lightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/be-convinced-that-to-be-happy-means-to-be-free-and-that-to-be-free/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [It's always brave to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-yifei/it-s-always-brave-to-be-yourself/) [Liu Yifei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-yifei/) > [“Victory is for the fucking brave, not the timid and excuse-riddled weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zakk-wylde/victory-is-for-the-fucking-brave-not-the-timid-and-excuse-riddled-weak/) [Zakk Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zakk-wylde/) > [I'm very proud of 'Every Girl's a Super Girl.' I want all girls to know that no matter what size, color, or shape, whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-siwa/i-m-very-proud-of-every-girl-s-a-super-girl-i-want-all-girls-to-know/) [JoJo Siwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-siwa/) > [And I read the moral--A brave endeavour To do thy duty, whate'er its worth, Is better than life with love forever, And love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-jeffrey-roche/and-i-read-the-moral-a-brave-endeavour-to-do-thy-duty-whate-er-its/) James Jeffrey Roche > [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [You know what really made me sick? I was in Washington, D.C. at another time reading in a paper where the U.S. gives Byron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/you-know-what-really-made-me-sick-i-was-in-washington-d-c-at-another/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [To be able to live and train in Iraq under these circumstances you need to be brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-able-to-live-and-train-in-iraq-under-these-circumstances-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's a fallacy with stand up comedy, which is, people come up to comedians, and they go, 'You say what I think but I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/there-s-a-fallacy-with-stand-up-comedy-which-is-people-come-up-to/) [Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/) > [Fortune helps the brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence/fortune-helps-the-brave/) [Terence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence/) > [“A ‘good’ father will tenderly cultivate his children. But a ‘good’ father who is also a ‘brave’ father will let the children without cultivate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/a-good-father-will-tenderly-cultivate-his-children-but-a-good-father/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [And is it selfish of me to crave victory, or is it brave?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-is-it-selfish-of-me-to-crave-victory-or-is-it-brave/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [THE British are brave people. They can face anything, except reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mikes/the-british-are-brave-people-they-can-face-anything-except-reality/) [George Mikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikes/) [Browse all 3,314 Brave quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I always thought I was brave, but now I realize it it was only because there was never anything I really needed go be scared of.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eileen Cook" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/i-always-thought-i-was-brave-but-now-i-realize-it-it-was-only-because/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brave" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/i-always-thought-i-was-brave-but-now-i-realize-it-it-was-only-because/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/eileen-cook-8489_brave_i-always-thought-i-was-brave-but-now-i-r_1155219.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/eileen-cook-8489_brave_i-always-thought-i-was-brave-but-now-i-r_1155219.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/eileen-cook-8489_brave_i-always-thought-i-was-brave-but-now-i-r_1155219.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I always thought I was brave, but now I realize it it was only because there was never anything I really…” — Eileen Cook", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eileen Cook", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I always thought I was brave,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/i-always-thought-i-was-brave-but-now-i-realize-it-it-was-only-because/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/i-always-thought-i-was-brave-but-now-i-realize-it-it-was-only-because/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```