The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.

May reframes courage as something more than the absence of fear. In a society where social rewards and punishments are tied to fitting in, the greater threat to integrity is not overt cowardice but the quiet choice to blend in—accepting prevailing opinions, values, and roles without examination. The quote suggests that moral and psychological bravery often consists in resisting groupthink: speaking honestly, creating, dissenting, or living authentically even when that risks isolation. It also implies that conformity can be a socially sanctioned form of fear—fear of rejection—making it a central obstacle to personal freedom and ethical responsibility.

1) “The opposite of courage is not cowardice, it is conformity.”
2) “The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice but conformity.”