“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.”

The epigraph to Part II, “Days of Discovery,” defines courage as resistance to fear and mastery of it, rather than its absence. Attributed in the text to Mark Twain, it establishes a frame in which fear and courage can coexist.

Wording and Attribution

The printed line reads: “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.” The attribution immediately following it names Mark Twain.

Placement and Significance

Placed beneath the Part II heading, “Days of Discovery,” the epigraph gives the section a concise thematic premise: discovery does not require fear to disappear. Its distinction between mastering fear and lacking it makes courage an active response, not a state of fearlessness.