Before I knew you, I thought brave was not being afraid. You've taught me that bravery is being terrified and doing it anyway.

The speaker contrasts a naïve, childhood definition of courage—fearlessness—with a more mature understanding learned through relationship and experience. Bravery is reframed as an ethical and psychological act: acknowledging fear fully (“terrified”) yet choosing to proceed. The line also implies that intimacy can be a form of education; knowing another person exposes one’s vulnerabilities and raises the stakes, making fear more acute but also making resolve more meaningful. In that sense, the quote treats courage not as a trait some people simply possess, but as a repeated decision made under pressure, often motivated by love, loyalty, or responsibility.