--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe that's all bravery is: when your…" description: "\"“Maybe that's all bravery is: when your hunger is greater than your fear. I resist the implication that bravery is noble. I must face the things that s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/melissa-febos-7449_bravery_maybe-that-s-all-bravery-is-when-your-hu_178935.png" --- # Maybe that's all bravery is: when your hunger is greater… ![“Maybe that's all bravery is: when your hunger is greater than your fear. I resist the implication that bravery is noble. I must face the things that scare me in order to survive. And survival is not noble. It is not a sacrifice of self but in service to the self.” quote by Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/melissa-febos-7449_bravery_maybe-that-s-all-bravery-is-when-your-hu_178935.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/melissa-febos-7449_bravery_maybe-that-s-all-bravery-is-when-your-hu_178935.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/melissa-febos-7449_bravery_maybe-that-s-all-bravery-is-when-your-hu_178935.png) > ““Maybe that's all bravery is: when your hunger is greater than your fear. I resist the implication that bravery is noble. I must face the things that scare me in order to survive. And survival is not noble. It is not a sacrifice of self but in service to the self.”” [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Bravery is driven by necessity and self‑preservation rather than noble ideals; it arises when survival needs outweigh fear. **In simple terms:** Courage comes from needing to survive, not from heroism. Key Takeaway Act when survival outweighs fear. Themes courage self‑preservation survival motivation Mood determined reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - facing personal fears - making tough decisions - overcoming anxiety - daily challenges Key Concepts necessity psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What does survival demand of you? - How does fear motivate action? A Different Perspective Bravery can be romanticized, ignoring its ordinary, self‑focused nature. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bravery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bravery/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) ## Related quotes > [“Maybe my bravery was just a front and all my tough talk was just the bitter residue of a hundred burned bridges.  Maybe it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-wright/maybe-my-bravery-was-just-a-front-and-all-my-tough-talk-was-just-the/) [S.J. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-wright/) > [Thanksgiving speaks in clear, crisp tones of forgotten terms, like integrity - bravery - respect - freedom - discipline - sacrifice - godliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/thanksgiving-speaks-in-clear-crisp-tones-of-forgotten-terms-like/) [Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/) > [“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/) > [Fortune helps the brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence/fortune-helps-the-brave/) [Terence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence/) > [“We were taught to be good, and we were taught to be careful. But in this world, sometimes, I do not think we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-bennett/we-were-taught-to-be-good-and-we-were-taught-to-be-careful-but-in/) Marguerite Bennett > [All the world's bravery that delights our eyes is but thy several liveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/all-the-world-s-bravery-that-delights-our-eyes-is-but-thy-several/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-garber/every-person-has-the-power-to-change-their-fate-if-they-are-brave/) [Stephanie Garber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-garber/) > [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/) > [Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bravery-is-the-capacity-to-perform-properly-even-when-scared-half-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Fearing our confrontations is one thing... facing them unarmed is a completely different matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-w-boyer-2/fearing-our-confrontations-is-one-thing-facing-them-unarmed-is-a/) [Mark W. Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-boyer-2/) > [Courage is the skill of being the only one who knows your scared to death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/courage-is-the-skill-of-being-the-only-one-who-knows-your-scared-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [“How could we explain that standing on a stage and speaking someone else's words as if they are your own is less an act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-l-rio/how-could-we-explain-that-standing-on-a-stage-and-speaking-someone/) [M.L. Rio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-l-rio/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) ## More by Melissa Febos > [Letting go of the cozy stories you've been carrying around is devastating. But there's more room for new stuff after you do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/letting-go-of-the-cozy-stories-you-ve-been-carrying-around-is/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [When you conceal inner reality, this pressure builds. You often don't expose yourself until it reaches extremity, a breaking point, and what emerges is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/when-you-conceal-inner-reality-this-pressure-builds-you-often-don-t/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [I can only see right in front of me when I'm writing, you know? I never think of it as raw or personal or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/i-can-only-see-right-in-front-of-me-when-i-m-writing-you-know-i-never/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [“I have always been afraid to have children. I didn't want to give them the parts of me--the hurtling hunger, the shame--but now I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/i-have-always-been-afraid-to-have-children-i-didn-t-want-to-give-them/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [“There are still times when he and I fall into our respective labyrinths. I no longer believe that anyone but ourselves can lead us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/there-are-still-times-when-he-and-i-fall-into-our-respective/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [I think we all are born inside of our parents' narratives. We stay there for a good while. We are taught their narratives about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/i-think-we-all-are-born-inside-of-our-parents-narratives-we-stay/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [“I have always enjoyed watching women dress. The appeal isn't sexual. Most girls' first glimpse of private female life is watching their mothers dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/i-have-always-enjoyed-watching-women-dress-the-appeal-isn-t-sexual/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [“It was the first time anyone had broken up with me. It was a thing I had successfully avoided for thirty-two years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/it-was-the-first-time-anyone-had-broken-up-with-me-it-was-a-thing-i/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [I can still discern people's weaknesses, but it doesn't make me want to exploit them; it makes me want to hug them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/i-can-still-discern-people-s-weaknesses-but-it-doesn-t-make-me-want/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [“There is a moment in your 20s when you know what it means to love rightly, but not how to do it, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/there-is-a-moment-in-your-20s-when-you-know-what-it-means-to-love/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [“The labyrinth, after all, is Sarah's creation. She calls upon the Goblin King. And this is the biggest difference between my brother's afflictions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/the-labyrinth-after-all-is-sarah-s-creation-she-calls-upon-the-goblin/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [“I want to tell her that darkness is not bad. It is only the place we can't see yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/i-want-to-tell-her-that-darkness-is-not-bad-it-is-only-the-place-we/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [I made a conscious decision when I was writing that book to depict in real time how I treated it, and how I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/i-made-a-conscious-decision-when-i-was-writing-that-book-to-depict-in/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [“I only wanted to know where I ended and everything else began, and I still do, in these oceanic days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/i-only-wanted-to-know-where-i-ended-and-everything-else-began-and-i/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [“It’s the oldest lesson. The first lesson. It's like the first noble truth of Buddhism - there's going to be suffering, and that's okay.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/it-s-the-oldest-lesson-the-first-lesson-it-s-like-the-first-noble/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) [Explore all 91 Melissa Febos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) ## More Bravery quotes > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [“How could we explain that standing on a stage and speaking someone else's words as if they are your own is less an act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-l-rio/how-could-we-explain-that-standing-on-a-stage-and-speaking-someone/) [M.L. Rio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-l-rio/) > [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Courage is the skill of being the only one who knows your scared to death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/courage-is-the-skill-of-being-the-only-one-who-knows-your-scared-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Fearing our confrontations is one thing... facing them unarmed is a completely different matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-w-boyer-2/fearing-our-confrontations-is-one-thing-facing-them-unarmed-is-a/) [Mark W. Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-boyer-2/) > [Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bravery-is-the-capacity-to-perform-properly-even-when-scared-half-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [“Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-garber/every-person-has-the-power-to-change-their-fate-if-they-are-brave/) [Stephanie Garber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-garber/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [All the world's bravery that delights our eyes is but thy several liveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/all-the-world-s-bravery-that-delights-our-eyes-is-but-thy-several/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [“We were taught to be good, and we were taught to be careful. But in this world, sometimes, I do not think we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-bennett/we-were-taught-to-be-good-and-we-were-taught-to-be-careful-but-in/) Marguerite Bennett > [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/) > [These are the men who, without virtue, labour, or hazard, are growing rich, as their country is impoverished; they rejoice, when obstinacy or ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/these-are-the-men-who-without-virtue-labour-or-hazard-are-growing/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Now I have the bravery to do fine things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriela-sabatini/now-i-have-the-bravery-to-do-fine-things/) [Gabriela Sabatini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriela-sabatini/) [Browse all 1,663 Bravery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bravery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Maybe that's all bravery is: when your hunger is greater than your fear. I resist the implication that bravery is noble. I must face the things that scare me in order to survive. And survival is not noble. 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