10 Most Profound Doctor Who Quotes

5. What Is Courage - Planet Of The Daleks

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Another Classic Who quote now, this time from 1973 serial Planet Of The Daleks. The Third Doctor, nursing a potentially fatal wound, and Jo Grant find themselves on the planet Spidiron, where they encounter and old foe in the form of the Daleks.

Later in the serial, whilst attempting to comfort and console his frightened companion, Three drops this timeless piece of wisdom:

"Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened, you know. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do, anyway."

Many people misattribute bravery as being a lack of fear all together, but that simply isn’t the case. Bravery is about facing the things we are afraid of, and doing what we must do in spite of our own fear. It’s a really strong message for anyone who has ever felt ashamed of being afraid, or has thought it made them weak or cowardly - fear is a part of being human. As Twelve would say many many years later: Fear is a superpower.

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Alex is a sci-fi and fantasy swot, and is a writer for WhoCulture. He is incapable of watching TV without reciting trivia, and sometimes, when his heart is in the right place, and the stars are too, he’s worth listening to.