What makes this observation sharp is that it rejects the fantasy of fearlessness—the idea that brave people simply don't feel dread. Mandela, who spent twenty-seven years imprisoned, understood something most motivational speakers miss: the person who acts despite terror is actually *more* courageous than someone who never felt afraid in the first place. When a parent goes back to school while raising three children, or when someone speaks up against injustice knowing there will be consequences, the fear is still there, churning away. The courage exists in the decision to move forward anyway, not in some imagined state of invulnerability.