--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What would life be if we had no courage…" description: "\"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.\" — Fyodor Dostoevsky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_courage_what-would-life-be-if-we-had-no-courage_127186.png" --- # What would life be if we had no courage to attempt… ![“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_courage_what-would-life-be-if-we-had-no-courage_127186.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_courage_what-would-life-be-if-we-had-no-courage_127186.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_courage_what-would-life-be-if-we-had-no-courage_127186.png) > “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Without courage, life would be a series of missed opportunities and unfulfilled potential. **In simple terms:** Courage fuels action and growth. Key Takeaway Act despite fear. Themes courage risk growth potential fear Mood anxious hopeful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career change - personal projects - social interaction Key Concepts existentialism psychology Practical Applications - take a small risk today - practice speaking up Questions to Reflect On - What would you try if fear vanished? - How does courage shape identity? A Different Perspective Courage can lead to reckless decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/what-would-life-be-if-we-had-no-courage-to-attempt-anything/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. To handle yourself, use your head, To handle others, use your heart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-fairbanks/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-and-today-is-a-gift-to/) Connie Fairbanks > [Taking a new step. . .is what people fear most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/taking-a-new-step-is-what-people-fear-most/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“There is no such thing as colossal failure. There is only colossal courage to attempt the impossible again and again until it becomes possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/there-is-no-such-thing-as-colossal-failure-there-is-only-colossal/) [Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/) > [Success is less rare than the courage to attempt it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/success-is-less-rare-than-the-courage-to-attempt-it/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) > [“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? If you hear a voice within saying ‘You are not a painter’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/what-would-life-be-if-we-had-no-courage-to-attempt-anything-if-you/) [Vincent van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Times of crisis, of disruption or constructive change, are not only predictable, but desirable. They mean growth. 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Help me to do my best each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/give-me-the-patience-for-the-small-things-of-life-courage-for-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“Drive away and try to keep smiling. Get a little rock and roll on the radio and go toward all the life there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/drive-away-and-try-to-keep-smiling-get-a-little-rock-and-roll-on-the/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The best weapons against the infamies of life are courage, wilfulness and patience. 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For indeed it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/there-is-only-one-salvation-for-you-take-yourself-up-and-make/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“It is true I am a complete stranger to these people, but they are not strangers to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/it-is-true-i-am-a-complete-stranger-to-these-people-but-they-are-not/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Everything seems stupid when it fails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/everything-seems-stupid-when-it-fails/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Love to throw yourself on the earth and kiss it. Kiss the earth and love it with an unceasing, consuming love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/love-to-throw-yourself-on-the-earth-and-kiss-it-kiss-the-earth-and/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [They have this social justification for every nasty thing they do!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/they-have-this-social-justification-for-every-nasty-thing-they-do/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Be the sun and all will see you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/be-the-sun-and-all-will-see-you/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [If you are penitent, you love. And if you love you are of God. All things are atoned for, all things are saved by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/if-you-are-penitent-you-love-and-if-you-love-you-are-of-god-all/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“To kill for murder is a punishment incomparably worse than the crime itself. Murder by legal sentence is immeasurably more terrible than murder by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/to-kill-for-murder-is-a-punishment-incomparably-worse-than-the-crime/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“You magnify your failure to a crime, Vasya.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/you-magnify-your-failure-to-a-crime-vasya/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [The death of a child is the greatest reason to doubt the existence of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/the-death-of-a-child-is-the-greatest-reason-to-doubt-the-existence-of/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [In a way there's only a fine shade of difference between the healthy and the deranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/in-a-way-there-s-only-a-fine-shade-of-difference-between-the-healthy/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“Now answer me, sincerely, honestly, who lives past forty? I'll tell you who does: fools and scoundrels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/now-answer-me-sincerely-honestly-who-lives-past-forty-i-ll-tell-you/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“There are crimes that are truly uncomely. With crimes, whatever they may be, the more blood, the more horror there is, the more imposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/there-are-crimes-that-are-truly-uncomely-with-crimes-whatever-they/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) [Explore all 642 Fyodor Dostoevsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) ## 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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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": "What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? 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