--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a brave thing to have courage to be…" description: "\"It is a brave thing to have courage to be an individual; it is also, perhaps, a lonely thing. But it is better than not being an individual, which is t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf6/eleanor-roosevelt-381_brave_it-is-a-brave-thing-to-have-courage-to-b_204557.jpg" --- # It is a brave thing to have courage to be an individual… ![“It is a brave thing to have courage to be an individual; it is also, perhaps, a lonely thing. But it is better than not being an individual, which is to be nobody at all.” quote by Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf6/eleanor-roosevelt-381_brave_it-is-a-brave-thing-to-have-courage-to-b_204557.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf6/eleanor-roosevelt-381_brave_it-is-a-brave-thing-to-have-courage-to-b_204557.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf6/eleanor-roosevelt-381_brave_it-is-a-brave-thing-to-have-courage-to-b_204557.jpg) > “It is a brave thing to have courage to be an individual; it is also, perhaps, a lonely thing. But it is better than not being an individual, which is to be nobody at all.” [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being an individual requires courage and may feel lonely, but it is preferable to anonymity. **In simple terms:** Courage to be yourself beats blending in. Key Takeaway Embrace individuality. Themes courage individuality loneliness Mood thoughtful empowering Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career choices - creative projects - personal branding - solo travel Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does being “nobody” mean to you? - How can you balance uniqueness with connection? A Different Perspective Individualism can lead to isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Lonely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely/) ## Related quotes > [“You are beautiful because you let yourself feel, and that is a brave thing indeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinji-moon/you-are-beautiful-because-you-let-yourself-feel-and-that-is-a-brave/) [Shinji Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinji-moon/) > [But mayn't desertion be a brave thing? A fine thing? To desert a thing we've gone beyond - to have the courage to desert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/but-mayn-t-desertion-be-a-brave-thing-a-fine-thing-to-desert-a-thing/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [Everyone is embarrassed to admit how much they want to be loved. That is the most difficult thing to do, and, therefore, the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-song/everyone-is-embarrassed-to-admit-how-much-they-want-to-be-loved-that/) [Celine Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-song/) > [“Having The courage To Find Your Individual Ability To Cope, and Challenge Society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-zackson-koury/having-the-courage-to-find-your-individual-ability-to-cope-and/) Bonnie Zackson Koury > [Morale is not a single instinct. It has many ingredients. A sense of personal responsibility, the natural courage of an individual, the amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bottome/morale-is-not-a-single-instinct-it-has-many-ingredients-a-sense-of/) [Phyllis Bottome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bottome/) > [In a man like Friedrich von Schlegel the courage to be as an individual self produced complete neglect of participation, but it also produced,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/in-a-man-like-friedrich-von-schlegel-the-courage-to-be-as-an/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [Passion is the fire, enthusiasm and courage that an individual feels when she is doing something she loves while accomplishing worthy ends, something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/passion-is-the-fire-enthusiasm-and-courage-that-an-individual-feels/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [There's a lot of things I can get better at as an individual, knowing where defenders are, having a better awareness. Those are things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deandre-hopkins/there-s-a-lot-of-things-i-can-get-better-at-as-an-individual-knowing/) [DeAndre Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deandre-hopkins/) > [What you see in the interview will not get significantly better when the individual is hired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cottrell/what-you-see-in-the-interview-will-not-get-significantly-better-when/) [David Cottrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cottrell/) > [I think the team is always better than the individual player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-van-gaal/i-think-the-team-is-always-better-than-the-individual-player/) [Louis van Gaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-van-gaal/) > [Using references of current technology, Martin Luther King Jr. could mentally cut and paste better than any individual I have ever known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-benjamin-jones/using-references-of-current-technology-martin-luther-king-jr-could/) Clarence Benjamin Jones > [I think I'm getting better as an individual player. I think I still got a ways to go. So I'm going to continue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerami-grant/i-think-i-m-getting-better-as-an-individual-player-i-think-i-still/) [Jerami Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerami-grant/) > [All stress can be used to better yourself, each individual has to understand how to use that particular stress - whether it is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milind-soman/all-stress-can-be-used-to-better-yourself-each-individual-has-to/) [Milind Soman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milind-soman/) > [I think that the more people who speak out, and say things and take stands on positions that will better our community, the better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-think-that-the-more-people-who-speak-out-and-say-things-and-take/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [“It’s better to be individual than a clone of someone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fennel-hudson/it-s-better-to-be-individual-than-a-clone-of-someone-else/) [Fennel Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fennel-hudson/) ## More by Eleanor Roosevelt > [My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/my-experience-has-been-that-work-is-almost-the-best-way-to-pull/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [experience should teach us that it is always the unexpected that does occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/experience-should-teach-us-that-it-is-always-the-unexpected-that-does/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [To be mature you have to realize what you value most... Not to arrive at a clear understanding of one's own values is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/to-be-mature-you-have-to-realize-what-you-value-most-not-to-arrive-at/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I'm enormously interested in freedom and retaining the right to have whatever economy we want and to shape it as we want and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-m-enormously-interested-in-freedom-and-retaining-the-right-to-have/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [When you look fear in the face, you are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/when-you-look-fear-in-the-face-you-are-able-to-say-to-yourself-i/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-destiny-of-human-rights-is-in-the-hands-of-all-our-citizens-in/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [You can never really live anyone else's life, not even your child's. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/you-can-never-really-live-anyone-else-s-life-not-even-your-child-s/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“One of the things I believe most intensely is that every child’s why should be answered with care—and with respect. If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-things-i-believe-most-intensely-is-that-every-child-s-why/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [What we must learn to do is to create unbreakable bonds between the sciences and the humanities. We cannot procrastinate. The world of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-we-must-learn-to-do-is-to-create-unbreakable-bonds-between-the/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/never-allow-a-person-to-tell-you-no-who-doesn-t-have-the-power-to-say/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/do-not-stop-thinking-of-life-as-an-adventure-you-have-no-security/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/we-stand-today-at-the-threshold-of-a-great-event-both-in-the-life-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [All of us ... should remember that no amount of flag-waving, pledging allegiance, or fervent singing of the national anthem is evidence that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-should-remember-that-no-amount-of-flag-waving-pledging/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Some friends leave footprints in your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/some-friends-leave-footprints-in-your-heart/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [If we want a free and peaceful world, if we want to make the deserts bloom and man grow to greater dignity as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/if-we-want-a-free-and-peaceful-world-if-we-want-to-make-the-deserts/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) [Explore all 612 Eleanor Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## 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": "It is a brave thing to have courage to be an individual; it is also, perhaps, a lonely thing. But it is better than not being an individual, which is to be nobody at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eleanor Roosevelt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/it-is-a-brave-thing-to-have-courage-to-be-an-individual-it-is-also/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brave" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/it-is-a-brave-thing-to-have-courage-to-be-an-individual-it-is-also/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf6/eleanor-roosevelt-381_brave_it-is-a-brave-thing-to-have-courage-to-b_204557.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf6/eleanor-roosevelt-381_brave_it-is-a-brave-thing-to-have-courage-to-b_204557.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf6/eleanor-roosevelt-381_brave_it-is-a-brave-thing-to-have-courage-to-b_204557.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is a brave thing to have courage to be an individual; it is also, perhaps, a lonely thing. But it is…” — Eleanor Roosevelt", "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": "Eleanor Roosevelt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is a brave thing to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/it-is-a-brave-thing-to-have-courage-to-be-an-individual-it-is-also/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/it-is-a-brave-thing-to-have-courage-to-be-an-individual-it-is-also/#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 } } ] } ```