Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.

In Harper Lee’s novel *To Kill a Mockingbird* (1960), the line is spoken by Atticus Finch to his children, Scout and Jem, as he tries to correct their idea that courage is physical toughness. The remark comes amid the children’s growing awareness of moral complexity in Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression-era 1930s. Atticus is preparing them to understand why he will defend Tom Robinson despite overwhelming prejudice and near-certain defeat. He points to Mrs. Dubose—an elderly neighbor battling a morphine addiction—as an example of “real courage,” reframing bravery as moral endurance rather than victory.

The quote defines courage not as winning, dominance, or fearlessness, but as principled persistence in the face of likely failure. It suggests that the moral value of an action lies in commitment to what is right, even when outcomes are bleak and social costs are high. In the novel, this becomes a key ethical lesson for Scout and Jem: integrity is measured by steadfastness under pressure, not by public approval or success. The idea also broadens courage to include private struggles—such as addiction or illness—where the “fight” is internal and the victory may be partial or unseen.

“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.”