What is courage?

[MelissaBaby]

How do you define courage?

If a person takes actions to save another person, most people would consider that courageous, but if someone saves their own life, is that an act of courage or just self preservation?

If a particular course of action is hard or dangerous, but the only alternative is clearly worse or obviously has no chance at success, is it still courageous to take the first course?

 

[Super-Surprise]

Courage is over-coming your own fears.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[Hard_Rom]

Courage is not lack of fear. It is action in the face of fear.

 

[Peregrinator]

Courage is not lack of fear. It is action in the face of fear.

This.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[butters]

to do the thing you believe to be the right thing to do - even if it may cost you the respect of others & your popularity; it may endanger you, and goes against the voice of self-preservation.

sometimes, as in choosing whether or not to commit suicide, the most courageous choice may be the hardest - to remain alive for the sake of others.


edit: 'what you believe to be the right thing to do' may include acknowledging that what you believed to be the right thing before was an error on your part

 

[Que]

Courage is having (possibly well-founded) fear in a course of action and doing it anyway.

There is a fool-hardy aspect to it.

In all senses that we have a "self," the instinct for self-preservation is there for a reason. Whether we are talking about life, limb, or one's dignity.

 

[MelissaBaby]

to do the thing you believe to be the right thing to do - even if it may cost you the respect of others,& your popularity; it may endanger you, and goes against the voice of self-preservation.

sometimes, as in choosing whether or not to commit suicide, the most courageous choice may be the hardest - to remain alive for the sake of others.

I think that what I am getting at is, at what point does the drive for self preservation, which even animals possess, become courage?

If a person is in physical danger and tries to escape, that's just instinct, isn't it? It doesn't rise to the level of virtue.

You made the point that choosing not to commit suicide, "to remain alive for the sake of others" took courage, and I take your point, But when it's not with any thought of others, is the decision to live courageous, or just an act of self preservation?

 

[MelissaBaby]

Courage is having (possibly well-founded) fear in a course of action and doing it anyway.

There is a fool-hardy aspect to it.

In all senses that we have a "self," the instinct for self-preservation is there for a reason. Whether we are talking about life, limb, or one's dignity.

Do you think there is a moral imperative to preserve the self for it's own sake?

 

[adrina]

Sometimes I think it is lack of REaction.

I like this. We've all heard about acting in the face of fear regardless.

But you are correct in that sometimes facing your fear means being still, waiting. Sometimes the battle to fight is just letting things be.

This is a newer concept for me that I hadn't really defined until I read your post. Thank you.

 

[LIVINRFANTASIES]

Denny

What is courage?

To be able to get on Lit and make lots of silly comments.

Or is that stupidity?

 

[Hard_Rom]

In the animal world it is fight or flight. Or go tharn in the bright lights of an approaching car.

 

[trysail]

I distinctly recall stumbling upon this quote whilst reading "Pudd'nhead Wilson" and being struck by its essential accuracy.

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear— not an absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward it is not a compliment to say it is brave; it is merely a loose misapplication of the word."​

-Samuel L. Clemens ( "Mark Twain" )
The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson And the Comedy Those Extraordinary Twins
Hartford, Connecticut. 1894
​

​

 

[Que]

Do you think there is a moral imperative to preserve the self for it's own sake?

Morality is in the conscience of the beholder. Personally, I don't really think so, other than those that we are obviously responsible to care for. I would never leave children behind for example.

I think sense of self preservation is a biological, not a moral imperative.

 

[butters]

I think that what I am getting at is, at what point does the drive for self preservation, which even animals possess, become courage?

If a person is in physical danger and tries to escape, that's just instinct, isn't it? It doesn't rise to the level of virtue.

You made the point that choosing not to commit suicide, "to remain alive for the sake of others" took courage, and I take your point, But when it's not with any thought of others, is the decision to live courageous, or just an act of self preservation?

i can't answer that beyond the sort of scenario of, for example, choosing to brave the flames to possibly escape them over remaining put and most likely dying. the fear of the danger is there, the outcome uncertain.

i believe the decision to live (in the face of, say, a terminal progressive disease), despite knowing it would mean spending the rest of ones days in pain, hugely difficult mentally as well as physically, and when one only has oneself to consider, takes a VAST amount of bravery. however, i wouldn't call the opposite decision a cowardice, more like a practical and kinder-to-oneself solution.

 

[Hard_Rom]

Animals will not cross flames. Lots of barn animals lost in fires that conceivably a human would just run through in seconds and sustain minor injury. I hear horses are not natural jumpers so even they won't just take a run and try to leap over.

From what I hear from those with kids they are your immortality. Thinking about the best for the many means saving young breeding age females.

 

[EternalFantasies]

This.

Which is this:

Courage is over-coming your own fears.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[MelissaBaby]

i can't answer that beyond the sort of scenario of, for example, choosing to brave the flames to possibly escape them over remaining put and most likely dying. the fear of the danger is there, the outcome uncertain.

i believe the decision to live (in the face of, say, a terminal progressive disease), despite knowing it would mean spending the rest of ones days in pain, hugely difficult mentally as well as physically, and when one only has oneself to consider, takes a VAST amount of bravery. however, i wouldn't call the opposite decision a cowardice, more like a practical and kinder-to-oneself solution.

Here is the sticking point for me, and by the way, my thanks to you and everyone else for your thoughts, it is hard for me to wrap my head around the notion that by doing things in my self interest I am showing courage. Of course, I recognize that my actions affect others, and that enters into the equation. In your scenario of the person choosing to live despite great suffering, there are the feelings of their loved ones to consider, for example. I recognize, in the case of others, that the concept of courage is present there, but I am having a hard time applying it to myself.

People have told me over and over again how courageous I was to get myself off of drugs and out of a self destructive lifestyle, but my primary motivation was selfish, it was a question of saving my own life. Yes, there are people who are very glad I did so, but in the moment, that was a side issue.

Now, because I am writing about my experiences, people are telling me again how much courage that must take, but I don't feel courageous, I feel like someone sweating out a toxin. I got a lovely note yesterday from someone who said that they read my story about how I got involved with drugs and it helped them understand their son's troubles. I was very touched by it, but it scared the hell out of me. So maybe, continuing on will take courage. Anyway, thank you.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[Radiohead]

I'd use brave, not courageous, but I'm glad you're here.

 

[MelissaBaby]

The same action can be courageous or not. It can depend on your other choices at the time, who you are and your motivation. The times i appear courageous to others I too often feel I have taken the easier at the time path for me while where others have criticism for my actions I have felt courageous. Mayb this is because I have had fuller picture of my motivation and the options available to me than others?

The point is I think, courage is from OUR hearts and doesn't depend on the view of others. Though of course can be asking for support from others if we are independent, or sharing with others if we are private.

I think that maybe I'm just resisting the idea that, because I quit being an idiot and started trying to act like a responsible adult, I did something extraordinary.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I'd use brave, not courageous, but I'm glad you're here.

Thank you. I am too, and I'm glad there are people like you who are willing to voice your support.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]