This quote is not really about bravery in the dramatic sense. It is about the quieter, more difficult form of courage: acting when conscience is already clear. Confucius is saying that moral failure often begins long before wrongdoing itself. It begins in the gap between recognition and response — when a person knows what should be done, but hesitates because action may be inconvenient, risky, or socially costly. It's the righteous act within that moment which determines the success or the failure, not the ultimate outcome.