[LucrativeSid]

I see a wide range of different rationalizations, beliefs, and attitudes around the concept of courage. (Just as I suspected.)

Some of you have made your answers very clear and understandable, so they do not require responses. Your words are valued and appreciated.

Others have asked questions themselves, or given answers that are less than common, so I will address those now.

Originally Posted by bluebell

Are there different types of courage?

I think so. There is physical courage, such as someone risking their own life to save someone else. Then there is personal, non-physical courage, such as doing public speaking despite being terrified of it or overcoming a phobia. And there is inner courage, such as breaking down internal denial and facing internal pain as part of personal growth. (er, my names for these types of courage lack a little something)

I like the three categories that you have come up with. The third one is my favorite because it's the most confusing one. It's not something that you can simply just do by using will power. It constantly grates on you.

Originally Posted by Victor

But moral courage is quite rare.

I agree. I think physical courage is easy because even if you fail, you still look like a hero. With moral courage, even success can have terrible consequences.

Originally Posted by Hirsch63

Believe.

Could you elaborate on that?

Originally Posted by INTJMom

I decided to gather some wise sayings on Courage:


Confucius Analects
To see what is right and not to do it, is want of courage.

Anais Nin
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.


La Rochefoucauld
Perfect courage means doing unwitnessed what we would be capable of with the world looking on.

I like these three quotes a lot.

Originally Posted by ptgatsby

Better? On what standard...? I could be brave and quit my job, but that would let down my wife, our plans and our future.

It either makes your life better or it doesn't. There is no standard. If you hate your job and quit in order to find a job you like more, then you might fail and lose everything or you might succeed and be a lot happier. I guess your success would depend on how courageously you fought for whatever you wanted. Unless you're just talking about being reckless and quitting your job because you don't like it, without a plan to replace it with something more enjoyable or better paying.

Originally Posted by notjeffgoldblum

define "better"

You're just being difficult.

Originally Posted by Nocapszy

I never risk anything I'd care about losing.

And you don't care about losing anything? For you then, it must all be about gain, like the fun of finishing the chess game even though you might die. So maybe the only thing you'd hate to lose is the inability to live freely. (Death excluded.)

I like your responses because they are different. I'm just not sure I completely understand.

Originally Posted by Nocapszy

Basically I don't think courage exists without stupidity and negligence, and in that case, it's still not really courage, it's just blindness.

If you want more in life, and you're afraid of going for it, that's stupidity and negligence? Is that because it's stupid to be afraid of something that will only make your life better? Have you ever wanted to do something that you were afraid to do for some reason?

Originally Posted by Nocapszy

You're not wondering about some kind of magic... thing... that gives us courage, are you?

Yes, I'm an ENTP who's looking for some kind of magic thing. Are you saying it doesn't exist?

I'm just curious as to what people will say. Heart, head, intelligence, desire, compassion, love, greed, stupidity, divine powers, instincts, etc...