This illustration is inspired by the story of the Lion and the Mouse. I've heard that courage is not the absence of fear but to act in spite of fear. I've also heard that courage only exists if fear also exists. Without fear, there can be no courage.

Sometimes, it's neither. When a situation forces you, when it calls you to act, there's no thought about being afraid or being brave. If you care enough about something, both courage and fear are irrelevant. They don't even enter the equation of thought. There's only response. There's only action.

For someone looking at the situation with the luxury of choice, it may seem like a great feat, but for someone who has been compelled to act, maybe there was never a choice. Greatness was elementary.