--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He understood, in that crystalline…" description: "\"“He understood, in that crystalline instant, that courage wasn't something you were bequeathed at birth, and it wasn't a lack of fright. It was overcom..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/samantha-van-leer-62694_courage_he-understood-in-that-crystalline-instan_477130.jpg" --- # He understood, in that crystalline instant, that courage… ![“He understood, in that crystalline instant, that courage wasn't something you were bequeathed at birth, and it wasn't a lack of fright. It was overcoming your fear, because the ones you love mattered more.” quote by Samantha van Leer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/samantha-van-leer-62694_courage_he-understood-in-that-crystalline-instan_477130.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/samantha-van-leer-62694_courage_he-understood-in-that-crystalline-instan_477130.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/samantha-van-leer-62694_courage_he-understood-in-that-crystalline-instan_477130.jpg) > ““He understood, in that crystalline instant, that courage wasn't something you were bequeathed at birth, and it wasn't a lack of fright. It was overcoming your fear, because the ones you love mattered more.”” [Samantha van Leer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-van-leer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to face it for loved ones. **In simple terms:** Courage means acting despite fear for those you love. Key Takeaway Prioritize love over fear. Themes courage love fear Mood empathetic inspirational Type personal ethical When to use this quote - parenting - relationships - heroic decisions Key Concepts ethical duty emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - Who do you love enough to face your fears? - How does love reshape your perception of bravery? A Different Perspective Fear may still paralyze despite love. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Overcoming fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming-fear/) ## Related quotes > [“...courage wasn’t something you were bequeathed at birth, and it wasn’t a lack of fright. 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True courage was when you were scared of something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-beatty/her-pa-had-told-her-once-that-true-courage-wasn-t-because-you-didn-t/) [Robert Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-beatty/) > [If courage wasn't a standard result of aging it meant that the young could somehow acquire it as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawana-blackwell/if-courage-wasn-t-a-standard-result-of-aging-it-meant-that-the-young/) [Lawana Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawana-blackwell/) > [Courage is the power of the mind to overcome fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/courage-is-the-power-of-the-mind-to-overcome-fear/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [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/) > [Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/courage-starts-with-showing-up-and-letting-ourselves-be-seen/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [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/) > [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-and possibly teh bogey man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-possibly-teh-bogey/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [The best way to overcome fear is to face with equanimity the situation of which one is afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-k-s-iyengar/the-best-way-to-overcome-fear-is-to-face-with-equanimity-the/) [B.K.S. Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-k-s-iyengar/) > [Overcoming fear is a critical factor for anyone who wishes to be really happy, or anyone who wishes to become enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/overcoming-fear-is-a-critical-factor-for-anyone-who-wishes-to-be/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You can never become a great man or woman until you have overcome anxiety, worry, and fear. It is impossible for an anxious person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/you-can-never-become-a-great-man-or-woman-until-you-have-overcome/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [When fear ceases to scare you, it cannot stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/when-fear-ceases-to-scare-you-it-cannot-stay/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [“Never be afraid to offer a smile; sure the risk is that a few foolish people may misinterpret your kindness as weakness, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/never-be-afraid-to-offer-a-smile-sure-the-risk-is-that-a-few-foolish/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) ## More by Samantha van Leer > [“No one ever asks a kid for her opinion, but it seems to me that growing up means you stop hoping for the best,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-van-leer/no-one-ever-asks-a-kid-for-her-opinion-but-it-seems-to-me-that/) [Samantha van Leer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-van-leer/) > [“Real fairy tales are not for the faint hearted. In them, children get eaten by witches and chased by wolves; women fall into comas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-van-leer/real-fairy-tales-are-not-for-the-faint-hearted-in-them-children-get/) [Samantha van Leer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-van-leer/) > [“Sometimes the key to happiness is just expecting a little bit less. That way, you'll never be dissappointed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-van-leer/sometimes-the-key-to-happiness-is-just-expecting-a-little-bit-less-2/) [Samantha van Leer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-van-leer/) > [“I'm not like most characters, I guess. Everyone else in here seems to be happy having their lives already planned out for them, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-van-leer/i-m-not-like-most-characters-i-guess-everyone-else-in-here-seems-to/) [Samantha van Leer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-van-leer/) [Explore all 5 Samantha van Leer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-van-leer/) ## 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. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Tranquillity is courage in repose. It is a statical manifestation of valor, as daring deeds are a dynamical. 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": "“He understood, in that crystalline instant, that courage wasn't something you were bequeathed at birth, and it wasn't a lack of fright. 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