Joseph Epstein Quotes

I am convinced that courage is the most important of all the virtues. Because without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue consistently. You can be kind for a while; you can be generous for a while; you can be just for a while, or merciful for a while, even loving for a while. But it is only with courage that you can be persistently and insistently kind and generous and fair.

The hero is brave in deeds as well as words.

Courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues, for upon it all others depend.

In our blessed and mostly peaceful society we're not as familiar with courage as we once were. We ascribe the virtue to all manner of endeavors that only really require skill, fortitude and a little daring, the qualities Pat Tillman showed on the football field. Pat's best service to his country was to remind us all what courage really looks like, and that the purpose of all good courage is love.

We live in the kind of world where courage is the most essential of virtues; without courage, the other virtues are useless.

To be courageous requires no exceptional qualifications, no magic formula, no special combination of time, place, and circumstance. It is an opportunity that sooner or later is presented to us all.

Courage, not cleverness; not even inspiration, is the grain of mustard that grows up to be a great tree.

The price of cowardice will only be evil. We shall reap courage and victory only when we dare to make sacrifices.

Esk felt that bravery was called for, but on a night like this bravery lasted only as long as a candle stayed alight.

Possessed of courage but devoid of morality, a superior man will make trouble while a small man will be a brigand.

Valour, however unfortunate, commands great respect even from enemies: but the Romans despise cowardice, even though it be prosperous.

The longer human beings exist, it seems, the less likely we are to choose to be brave.

Courage is a quality so necessary for maintaining virtue, that it is always respected, even when it is associated with vice.

Courage can be just as infectious as fear.

Courage, Alexander..... Courage, Tatiana

Courage is the most important virtue because it is the hardest.

I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do.

The bravest soldiers aren't unafraid, but they're the ones who are able to harness their fear on behalf of courage.

Courage, like fear, is a habit. The more you do it, the more you do it, and this habit-of stepping up, of taking action-more than anything else, will move you in a different direction.

Many would be cowards if they had courage enough.

Before I knew you, I thought brave was not being afraid. You've taught me that bravery is being terrified and doing it anyway.

What is courage? Courage is the willingness to risk failure...There is only one danger I find in life, and that, indeed, is a real one. You may take too many precautions.

One isn't born with courage. One develops it by doing small courageous things.

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.