courage

noun

cour·​age ˈkər-ij  

ˈkə-rij

Synonyms of courage

: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courage

https://www.sharedstoriesanthology.org/

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Nelson Mandela

“We were scared, but our fear was not as strong as our courage.”
Malala Yousafzai

“Fear is a reaction, courage is a decision.”
Sir Winston Churchill

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Courage is something that everybody wants, yet courage is not just physical bravery. In general, there are six types of courage we may need to face life challenges:

1. Physical courage – Feeling fear yet choosing to act. Involves bravery at the risk of bodily harm or death; and, developing physical strength, resilience and awareness.

2. Emotional courage – Following our heart. Open us to feeling the full spectrum of emotions – pleasant and unpleasant – without attachment.  

3. Intellectual courage – Expanding our horizons, letting go of the familiar. It is about our willingness to learn, unlearn and relearn with an open and flexible mind.

4. Social courage – To be ourself in the face of adversity. Involves the risk of social embarrassment or exclusion, unpopularity or rejection. It also involves leadership. 

5. Moral courage – Standing up for what is right. Involves doing the right thing even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular.

6. Spiritual courage – Facing pain with dignity or faith. It helps us live with purpose and meaning through a heart centred approach towards all life and oneself.

Adapted from ‘Six Types of Courage‘, by Dungate & Armstrong

• "The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it." (Thucydides, a Greek historian from 5th century BCE)
• "We easily gain from the liberality of others, but are always in danger of losing by their avarice: Courage defends us, but cowardice lays us open to every attack." (David Hume, a Scottish philosopher from the 1700s)
• On the difference between courage and fortitude: "There is also, in strict propriety of language, a difference between courage and fortitude. Courage faces and resists danger; fortitude endures pain.... Courage is for action; fortitude for suffering. In this sense, fortitude differs little from constancy and patient endurance." (William Swan Plumer, a Presbyterian theologian from the 1800s)
• "Courage is grace under pressure." (Ernest Hemingway)
• "I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear." (Rosa Parks)
• “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” (J.K. Rowling)
• "The ideal in courage is not just a rigid control of fear, nor is it a denial of the emotion. The ideal is to judge a situation, accept the emotion as part of human nature and, we hope, use well-developed habits to confront the fear and allow reason to guide our behavior toward a worthwhile goal." (Professor Daniel Putman)

Grand Acts of Courage

• Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the bus.
• Martin Luther King Jr. standing up for equal rights.
• Joan of Arc facing harsh criticism and burning at the stake for her beliefs.
• Jesus Christ continuing to follow his faith, beliefs and mission despite being hanged on a cross, brutally beaten and attacked.
• Anne Frank and her family living in secret and quiet to hide from the Nazis.
• The police, firefighters and citizens who rushed into buildings to save lives on September 11, 2001.
• Charles Lindbergh making the first nonstop flight from New York to Paris.
• Mother Teresa living amongst the poorest of the poor and helping them to thrive, learn and grow.
• Sir Edmund Hillary's climbing up Mount Everest.
• All those who have fought and who fight today for civil rights and equal rights.
• Women and men who put their lives and reputations on the line fighting for voting rights for women.
• People working for peace with global movements such as the Red Cross, UNICEF and the Peace Corps.
• Military personnel and their families defending the freedom.

These acts, and similar acts, demand great deals of courage. Many of these people put themselves in harm's way in order to do what is right.

Courage on a Daily Basis

Not all acts of courage need to be known worldwide to be defined as brave. Here are some examples of ways to be courageous in daily life.

• Trying a food that you've never tried before.
• Engaging in a new experience.
• Asking someone out on a date.
• Doing something that might be a little risky such as sky diving or riding a bike for the first time.
• Standing up for a person who is being picked on.
• Helping out a person or animal in need, even if it might put you in a little bit of danger.
• Standing up for yourself.
• Taking a stand against an unfair social or economic practice.
• Doing something by yourself for the first time.
• Making a public presentation about something you believe in.
• Standing up against racism or prejudice.
• Leaving a job that you don't like and trying to find a new one.
• Signing up for a program or class that intimidates you.
• Checking out a soup kitchen, volunteer program, etc. to see if they offer any connections in helping to be more courageous.

https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/courage-examples-acts-impact

• Without fear, courage doesn't exist.
• Change always requires courage.
• Courage means being vulnerable.
• It takes courage to persist in the face of opposition or defeat.
• Courage is the ultimate virtue.
• Courage can get you killed.
• Sometimes the most courageous thing you can do is try.