Martin Luther King on Overcoming Fear
I recently watched a short speech by Martin Luther King Jr. on overcoming fear. Here’s an excerpt from the speech:
I must confess that there are moments when I feel a sense of inadequacy. It is never easy for one to accept the role of leadership without going through constant moments of self-examination. And I must confess there are moments when I begin to wonder if I’m inadequate—whether I’m able to face the challenges and responsibilities that come with my position. I don’t think anyone in a situation like this can go through it without confronting moments of real fear.
But in this struggle—because it is fundamentally right, because it is a thrust forward not just for Negro people but for all of mankind—I have come to see these things differently. When I came to understand this, I felt a sense of cosmic companionship, so much so that the loneliness and fear have faded away, replaced by a deep commitment to a moral ideal.
Even Martin Luther King Jr. experienced imposter syndrome while leading the Civil Rights Movement.
Yet, his sense of purpose was so powerful that fear could not stand in his way.