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Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid.

I remember reading something by Heinlein, or maybe John W. Cambell, about the bravest man he’d ever met.

It seems there were several men in a military hospital walking-wounded section. On a regular basis, they went in to get fluid drained from their chest cavities, to facilitate their breathing.

One day, after a period of their chatting as usual, the first man up on the table had something go terribly wrong with his procedure, which was regarded as more-or-less routine. He died right there.

Everyone was shaken up, but they needed to continue. Their own lives depended on receiving this procedure.

Without complaint, the second man got up on the table and began with the treatment.

He also died.

This was getting serious. After a brief review, it was determined that there was nothing further to do but proceed. A third man got up on the table.

The procedure went off normally. They continued with the others, and everything went according to plan.

Now here is the interesting question: Which of these three men was the bravest?

It wasn’t the first man, because he had no idea what was about to happen. (Autopsy revealed his death had nothing to do with the procedure anyway.)

It wasn’t the third man. He was simply following precedent and example, although it took courage.

No, the bravest of the three was the second man. He had died of fright!