Victor pits courage against restraint, setting “cowardice or carelessness” in tension with bold inquiry—this juxtaposition is how he motivates himself. The determination is admirable, but the framing is slippery: any hesitation looks like fear, and prudence can be mislabeled as weakness. He believes he is chasing truth, yet he may be deceiving himself about risk and ethics. The phrase “on the brink” captures the thrill of almost-knowing and the danger of stepping too far. Shelley uses his inner pep talk to show how ideals can talk us past guardrails. The line reveals a mind that values discovery more than consequence. It’s a turning point where curiosity begins to outrun conscience.