"One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest"

Maya Angelou’s statement highlights the vital role of courage in the cultivation and maintenance of all other virtues. At birth, individuals are not inherently courageous; instead, courage is a quality developed over time. People are, however, born with innate potential, an unshaped capacity for personal growth, character, and virtue. Courage acts as the catalyst that unlocks and empowers this potential, serving as the foundation upon which other virtues rest.

Without courage, the consistent practice of values such as kindness, honesty, mercy, and generosity becomes impossible. Embodying kindness often requires breaking away from indifference or risking vulnerability in showing care for others. Honesty can demand the bravery to speak uncomfortable truths or admit mistakes, even when easier options are available. Mercy requires transcending resentment or a desire for retribution, sometimes in the face of social pressure or personal pain. Generosity asks one to give freely, sometimes at personal cost, without certainty of appreciation or reciprocity. Each of these virtues, while inherently good, exposes an individual to the risk of rejection, loss, or discomfort.

Consistency in virtue, then, relies on an inner resilience to withstand the potential negative consequences of virtuous action. Courage is what allows individuals to be steadfast in their goodness, even and especially when that goodness is challenged. Potential can only be realized when one is willing to act despite fear or uncertainty. Courage turns intentions into action and resolves into habit. Over time, this habit becomes one’s character.

Angelou’s reflection serves as a reminder that virtue is not passive or effortless; it requires the continual act of choosing bravery in both ordinary and extraordinary circumstances. By nurturing courage, individuals enable their most humane instincts to thrive and create lasting, meaningful connections with others and with the world.