Archive · 16 Aug 2026
Priyanka Chopra recalls mother's 'I didn't raise a coward' advice
A famous actress named Priyanka Chopra once felt very nervous about going to a party.
She knew some people at the party did not like her, and she did not like them either.
Sitting in the car with her mother, she said she did not want to go.
Her mother looked at her and said, 'I didn't raise a coward.'
Those words made Chopra feel brave.
She walked into the party and felt like she owned it.
A psychologist named Prerna Pant says parents' words can be very powerful, even for grown-ups.
She says feeling scared does not mean you cannot handle something.
Courage means feeling afraid but still doing the right thing.
So it is okay to be nervous, as long as fear does not make your decisions for you.
Priyanka Chopra recalled her mother telling her 'I didn't raise a coward' before a party she was nervous about attending.
She recounted the incident in a conversation with Cameron Bailey in 2017.
Chopra said her mother's words pushed her past hesitation and she walked in and 'owned that party.'
Her parents taught her there is nothing to be afraid of if she has not done anything wrong, a message her mother still repeats after her father's death.
Psychologist Prerna Pant of ISIC Multispeciality Hospital, Delhi, said such parental statements can interrupt overthinking and shift attention from fear to action.
- Who
- Actor Priyanka Chopra, her mother, and psychologist Prerna Pant of ISIC Multispeciality Hospital, Delhi.
- What
- Chopra recalled how her mother's words 'I didn't raise a coward' helped her overcome nerves before a party she did not want to attend.
- When
- The recollection was shared in a conversation with Cameron Bailey in 2017.
- Where
- The party's location was not specified; the expert commentary came from a psychologist in Delhi, India.
- Why
- Her mother's advice reminded Chopra that there is nothing to fear when she has not done anything wrong.
- Subject
- Priyanka Chopra
- Mother's quote
- I didn't raise a coward
- Recalled during
- 2017 conversation with Cameron Bailey
- Recurring parental message
- If you have not done anything wrong, there is nothing to be afraid of
- Expert
- Prerna Pant, Psychologist, ISIC Multispeciality Hospital, Delhi
- Key psychological insight
- Courage means acknowledging fear and still choosing an appropriate action
- Publication
- The Indian Express (indianexpress.com)