Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Courage as Every Woman’s Most Enduring Shield

Ultimately, courage is sustainable when tied to strategy and support. That can mean rehearsing a boundary, documenting misconduct, seeking allies, or using bystander intervention models widely taught in communities. Small acts—correcting a disparaging joke, citing a colleague’s idea, asking for equitable policies—accumulate into cultural guardrails. In this way, Stanton’s maxim becomes practical: courage is the initial protection, but it also recruits companions, institutions, and norms, building an ecosystem where bravery is less a solo leap and more a shared, safer path forward. [...]