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Malala Yousafzai on the Dangers of Choosing Fear over Courage

Season 7 Episode 626
Aired on 10/11/2015 | CC tv-14
In every life, there are defining moments when a person must decide whether to stand up for what is right or remain silent.

At a young age, Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai began boldly advocating for girls' access to education. The consequences were grave. In October 2012, the Taliban, an extremist Islamic group, shot Malala for her beliefs. Malala survived the attack and continued to speak out for equal rights. Her work catapulted her to international fame and, ultimately, the Nobel Peace Prize, making her the youngest Nobel laureate ever.

In their Super Soul Sunday interview, Oprah asks Malala if courage can be learned. "Is courage something that, you think, other people can develop or give to themselves?"

"There's, like, this fight between courage and fear," Malala says. "And sometimes we choose fear because we want to protect ourselves. But we don't realize that by choosing fear, we put ourselves in a situation that has a really bad impact on us."

Watch as Malala shares how the decision to speak her mind led to change in Pakistan's Swat Valley.