Courage builds self-respect. When you sacrifice for principles and ideas, you increase your self-respect. When you face a painful situation and react with dignity, you increase your self-respect.

When you say, “No,” to temptation even though others will try to persuade you to say, “Yes,” you increase your self-respect. When you don’t allow opposition to stop you from doing what you know must be done, you increase your self-respect.

In short, every act of courage makes you feel better about yourself.

-from Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s book, “Courage”