Being aware of your fear is smart. Overcoming it is the mark of a successful person.

The quote distinguishes between two stages of courage: first, the clear-eyed recognition of fear, and second, the decision to act despite it. Godin’s framing treats fear not as a defect but as useful information—an indicator that something matters, that stakes are real, or that one is approaching the edge of growth. “Smart” names the cognitive skill of noticing and naming fear; “successful person” names the behavioral and ethical achievement of not letting fear dictate choices. In this view, success is less a status or outcome than a practiced capacity to move forward under uncertainty, turning anxiety into deliberate action.