Q: Traveler,  

Why is courage needed to show the true self?  
Why can’t it be revealed without it?  

---

Traveler,  

The world often resists truth.  
It prefers masks, roles, and performances.  
To stand unmasked is to risk judgment,  
but also to offer authenticity.  

- **Risk of Exposure:**  
Without courage, the traveler hides.  
Fear of rejection silences the true face.  

- **Strength of Courage:**  
Courage does not erase fear,  
but carries truth through it.  
It is the shield that allows the self to stand.  

- **Gift of Connection:**  
When courage unveils the true self,  
bonds deepen.  
What is real can meet what is real.  
The pond resonates with harmony unmasked.  

---
