Courage

[LucrativeSid]

Essentially I'm splitting the question the question by asking whether one can be courageous if one chooses what's easier and then answering the rest. In typical psychology, the most immediately intuitive idea is that survival is the lesser of all evils, but I honestly believe the human survival instinct can be switched off (the suicide rate basically proves it...) being perhaps not so strong itself, but only strongly supported by evolutionary implementation. Where the survival instinct is shut off, those mechanisms might still work, thence having to focus their energies elsewhere (thrill seeking as an example).

I like where you're going with this. For example, if I choose to risk my life to save someone else, maybe it was just the easier choice because I didn't want to live myself as the kind of person who let somebody die without trying to help. A lot of the time, a courageous and risky act is the best option. Many courageous acts could be cowardly in nature.

But, to me, this is about reactive courage. Proactive courage could be a different matter. Think of a person's dreams. Most people's dreams are so important to them that they'd rather not even try to accomplish them rather than risk actually failing if they do try. To follow one's dreams is proactive courage. To go after that one thing in life that you want more than anything. That's pretty risky, not just physically, but emotionally. It's like putting all your eggs into one basket. To give something everything you've got, even if you might completely fail.

So this brings a new question. If you're not following your dreams, are you simply failing to be courageous enough?

Think about all the messed up things that are happening in this world. I'm not getting blamed for them, so there's not much of a direct negative consequence for me. But I'm not doing anything to stop it, either.

I think to understand courage more, we could study cowardice. Cowardice can save your life, but it can also make you hate yourself... and what's the point of living if you're not actually LIVING?

 

[Anja]

The deciding factor for me is that in order for an act to be courageous it requires risk.

For me it means "Do the right thing." And I believe that has required tremendous risk and has been worth it. That's the only reason I keep trying.

 

[Googly_Eyes]

I don't really have much to add but there is one thing about courage that I find people tend to be all too unaware of: It isn't courageous to have no fears, it's courageous to stand up to them.

 

[Hirsch63]

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

Believe.

Could you elaborate on that?

In the context of the question, to unselfconciously invest in the power of total optimism. To disregard all the evidence to the "contrary" that one has accumulated over the years. To truly forget and forgive.

 

[Synarch]

Brilliant question, LucrativeSid.

Please define courage in your own words. Tell me what it means to you personally.

Courage is doing what you know needs to be done despite fear or anticipation of failure.

Do you see it as a great virtue or is it mostly overrated?

Life requires it. As such, virtuous.

Are there different types of courage?

Not really.

Where does courage come from?

Ego, which creates integrity, which allows the conceptualizing of responsibility.

What's something you could do to make your life better right now by drawing forth a ton of courage?

Build a multi-generational, business empire.

 

[LadyJaye]

The root word for courage is Latin for "heart", so it's an incredible force that generates in the center of one's being, to steel us to face situations, even in terror, and do the right thing. I think the saying goes, " Courage isn't the absence of fear, but doing something in the face of fear."