You can choose courage or comfort, but you can’t have both. It’s a powerful, almost brutal truth from Brené Brown that forces a choice we often try to avoid making.
Share Image Quote:At its core, this is about a fundamental trade-off. Growth and bravery require stepping into the unknown, which is inherently uncomfortable. Staying safe and comfortable, by definition, means avoiding the risks that lead to real growth.
Let me break this down the way I’ve come to see it after seeing it play out in my own life and with countless clients. Comfort is the status quo. It’s the warm blanket of the familiar, the predictable, the safe path. It feels good. In the short term.
Courage, on the other hand, is what you need to do anything that truly matters. Asking for that raise. Starting that side hustle. Having that hard conversation. Setting that boundary. Every single one of those acts requires you to willingly step into discomfort, into vulnerability, into the arena where you might get knocked down.
And here’s the kicker—you cannot be in two places at once. You can’t be wrapped in the warm blanket of comfort and be out there slaying your dragons. The moment you choose to be brave, you are, by necessity, choosing to let go of the illusion of safety. It’s a binary choice you have to make, moment by moment.
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3669) |
| Category | Wisdom (385) |
| Topics | choice (55), comfort (14), courage (145) |
| Literary Style | succinct (151) |
| Emotion / Mood | motivating (311) |
| Overall Quote Score | 82 (297) |
This is a direct quote from Brené Brown’s 2015 book, Rising Strong. It’s a central theme in her research on vulnerability and wholehearted living. You’ll sometimes see similar sentiments floating around, but this specific, powerful phrasing is unequivocally hers from this work.
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Brene Brown (257) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Rising Strong (30) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1891) |
| Original Language | English (3669) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Dr Brene Brown is the author of books such as Daring Greatly and The Power of Vulnerability. The TED talk and Netflix production based on her research reached out to millions of audience. She researches effects of courage and vulnerability in shaping people's work and relationships. She leads the Brené Brown Education and Research Group and provides evidence-based insights into practical tools to help people train themselves
Official Website |Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube |
| Quotation | You can choose courage or comfort, but you can’t have both |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2015; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9780812995824; Last edition. Number of pages: 336. |
| Where is it? | Approximate page, The Rumble section |
In Rising Strong, Brown is talking about the “rumble”—that messy, difficult stage after a fall or a failure where you have to get honest about what happened. Choosing courage over comfort is the essential first step to getting back up. It’s the decision to lean into the tough emotions and hard truths instead of numbing out or pretending everything is fine.
This isn’t just theoretical. You see this choice everywhere.
This quote is for anyone who feels stuck but knows, deep down, that there’s more for them on the other side of fear.
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Theme | Principle (838) |
| Audiences | coaches (1277), leaders (2620), students (3112), teachers (1125) |
| Usage Context/Scenario | leadership training (259), motivational events (92), team programs (1) |
Question: Does this mean a courageous life is always uncomfortable?
Answer: Not always, but the act of being courageous always is. The reward on the other side—the growth, the achievement, the self-respect—brings a deeper, more fulfilling kind of comfort. But you have to move through the discomfort to get there.
Question: Can’t you have small moments of courage while still being comfortable?
Answer: That’s the trap! We tell ourselves that. But real, meaningful courage that changes your trajectory always involves a significant departure from your comfort zone. Small, safe “courage” is often just performative.
Question: What if I choose comfort? Am I a failure?
Answer: Absolutely not. This isn’t about judgment. It’s about awareness and consequence. Choosing comfort is a valid choice. But you have to own the consequence—which is often stagnation. The power is in consciously making the choice, not in pretending you don’t have one.
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