When we watch military films or documentaries, we find that young soldiers are taught that they should be ready to give up their lives whenever they stand for their country. What does self-sacrifice really mean? It is the ability to willingly give up something good for something better. Imagine a soldier fighting in a war where he has to make a difficult decision that includes giving up his life to spare thousands of different lives or being narrow-minded and letting others bite the dust. What do we expect from the soldier? Almost all people will agree that he will give his life, and it is true that he will do so because it is his duty to defend his nation. It is not child's play to sacrifice happiness and spirit; It takes a lot of strength and courage to act this way. Most scholars believe that one cannot gauge someone's strength simply by looking at their physique, but only by their willingness to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of others. In the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring directed by Peter Jackson, the main character Frodo Baggins, his companions Marry and Pippin and the wise wizard Gandalf sacrificed their comfort, serenity and life to successfully complete the their quest and to prevent Sauron from crushing Middle-earth. Sometimes individuals are faced with challenging circumstances in their lives where they must make life-changing choices. The film proposes that through the act of self-sacrifice one can gain an inner strength that may never have existed before. Frodo Baggins, the film's main character, faces many compelling circumstances in his quest and is challenged to sacrifice much of himself. The first challenge Frodo faces when Gandalf is...... middle of paper...... earth and his demonstration rewards him with grit and colossal confidence. Merry and Pippin both sacrifice their home and comfort because they care about their friends and the people of Middle-earth, and now realize that they have gained enough courage to face and fight evil. Gandalf on the other hand, who already possesses enough courage through the act of sacrifice, has learned a lot about enemies and their evil purpose, which helps the party members in preparing for their quest. Self-sacrifice expressed before being an influential thing to do as people lose everything they have, but later also compensates them with numerous qualities, the most significant of which are contentment and strength. “One day you will discover that there is much more happiness in another's happiness than in your own.” – Honoré de Balzac, Father Goriot.