Being crowded is not enough to win. one brave person beats a thousand cowardly people.

Watch what happens in a room when one person says the obvious thing. Twelve people knew it. One says it, the others exhale, and suddenly it is sayable.

That is most of how courage operates. Not a solo victory over a crowd, but permission travelling outward from whoever moves first.

You may be nearer to that position than you feel. In a bad stretch, being the one who names the thing costs more, and does more.