"How can you expect a man to be brave when he meets with nothing in life but misfortune?"
About this Quote
The intent feels quietly accusatory. It turns the spotlight away from the “unbrave” man and onto the audience doing the judging: What did you do to earn the right to demand resilience? Sierra’s rhetorical question works because it denies the reader an easy, moralizing answer. Bravery is often treated as a personal virtue, a kind of character trophy. Sierra implies it’s also situational, shaped by whether the world gives you any evidence that courage changes outcomes. When misfortune becomes the only feedback loop, bravery stops looking like nobility and starts resembling self-harm.
Subtextually, there’s a critique of cultures that romanticize suffering while offering little material support. It anticipates a modern argument about trauma, poverty, and mental health: stamina isn’t infinite, and “stay strong” can be a way to outsource responsibility.
Contextually, it reads like a line born from observing systemic bad luck - the kind that isn’t random, but patterned. Sierra isn’t excusing cowardice as much as he is challenging the fantasy that grit is free. If we want bravery, the quote hints, we might have to build conditions where bravery isn’t punished every time it shows up.
Quote Details
| Topic | Tough Times |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Sierra, Gregorio M. (2026, January 16). How can you expect a man to be brave when he meets with nothing in life but misfortune? FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/how-can-you-expect-a-man-to-be-brave-when-he-101407/
Chicago Style
Sierra, Gregorio M. "How can you expect a man to be brave when he meets with nothing in life but misfortune?" FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/how-can-you-expect-a-man-to-be-brave-when-he-101407/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"How can you expect a man to be brave when he meets with nothing in life but misfortune?" FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/how-can-you-expect-a-man-to-be-brave-when-he-101407/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.












