Courage
Courage is a multifaceted personal trait defined by the ability to take action in the face of fear or danger, encompassing both physical bravery and moral strength. This concept involves not only overcoming fear but also persevering through emotional or physical pain, often driven by a deep sense of responsibility or care for others. Historical context shows that the term originates from the Latin word for "heart," which reflects its association with personal strength and emotional resilience. While traditionally linked to acts of valor, courage can also manifest in everyday scenarios, such as speaking in public, admitting mistakes, or standing up for one's beliefs.
Research highlights that individuals who demonstrate courage tend to have a unique physiological response to fear, often producing less cortisol, which allows them to act despite feelings of anxiety. Training and conditioning, as seen with military and emergency responders, can enhance one's capacity to respond courageously in high-pressure situations. Importantly, courage is not uniform; individuals may exhibit varying levels of bravery depending on the circumstances. Furthermore, it is crucial to differentiate between acts of courage, which stem from a place of care and integrity, and heartless actions that arise from malice or hatred. Overall, courage can be cultivated through practice and reflection, offering pathways for personal growth and resilience.
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Courage
Courage is a personal trait characterized by taking action despite facing fear or danger. The term can also refer to persevering despite physical or emotional pain or acting with moral strength even when a penalty may have to be paid for doing so. In essence, courage refers to setting aside thoughts of fear or personal cost and choosing to act as if these things do not exist.
A person can demonstrate courage and bravery in a number of ways. Entering a burning building to save someone or helping someone who is being bullied are examples of situations requiring courage. However, people also demonstrate courage when they take actions that may be frightening but are not life-threatening, such as making a speech or asking for a raise. Examples of everyday courage include admitting a mistake, starting a new relationship, or speaking up for oneself or a cause that is personally important.
Background
The word “courage” comes from the Latin cor, which means “heart.” It came into use in the fourteenth century in Old French as corage, and referred to the feelings and attitude of the heart. At the time, the heart was thought to be the center of a person’s emotions and personal strength of character. Eventually, the word came to be associated with the characteristics of valor, or acting with honor during battle or when faced with defeat, and bravery.
Although courage has nothing to do with a person’s physical heart, it does have a biological basis. Researchers have determined that people who display courage often have a different physical response to fear. When a person experiences something that causes fear—whether the threat is physical danger or some challenge that has to be faced—the brain reacts by priming the body to act. The amygdala, a small almond-shaped portion of each hemisphere of the brain, tells the adrenal glands to release cortisol, which is known as the stress hormone because it is produced in any setting in which the person faces danger, anxiety, or any form of physical or emotional stress.
When a person is stressed or fearful, the amygdala tells the adrenal glands to release extra cortisol. Cortisol helps control heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and how the body metabolizes or uses food for fuel, among other things. It prepares the body to respond to the stressor by speeding up some systems and shutting down others to conserve energy to deal with the stress. This is a normal reaction. However, research has shown that people who demonstrate courage produce less cortisol, which enables them to overrule the normal fear responses and act despite the fear or danger. Research has also indicated that this response can be conditioned. This type of conditioning is part of the training that enables military personnel, first responders, and others who could face danger as a routine part of their jobs to act even though they are afraid.
Overview
Courage is sometimes defined as acting without fear, but experts contend that even people who seem brave have fear. However, they have learned to control the fear and act despite the danger or challenges they are facing. They set aside any feelings or thoughts that get in the way and persist in moving forward with a course of action.
In many cases, people think of courage as acting with physical bravery, such as charging into battle or jumping into a flooded river to save someone from drowning. While physical bravery is one way courage is demonstrated, psychologists have identified others. They include acting despite fear or danger even if the “danger” is emotional, persevering despite increasing challenges, standing up for moral principles, stepping outside of one’s comfort zone to tackle new challenges, and acting with calm dignity when facing physical or emotional pain.
In addition, when people act with courage, they are usually acting out of a deep sense of caring about something. Soldiers, firefighters, and others who risk their lives may feel a sense of responsibility for the well-being of others. A father puts himself between his family and an armed intruder to protect those he loves. A woman discovers that her employer is endangering people with illegal dumping risks her job to report it because she cares about what is morally and legally right.
People have different levels of courage and can even display varying amounts of courage based on the circumstances. For example, a police officer may routinely set aside fear to face the potential danger of armed criminals but be overcome by anxiety when she has to make a speech. However, experts say people can develop courage and learn to overcome fear with practice.
For instance, the training used by those routinely called upon to act in times of physical danger includes controlled exposure to these same dangers. Military personnel, police and fire personnel, airline personnel, and others are regularly taught to perform tasks with simulated danger around them to help condition their responses for times of real danger. This is the same principle behind the active shooter drills that take place in schools and other large institutional settings—having some experience with the situation in a simulation makes it easier to respond despite fear in real life.
Personal courage in less dire circumstances, such as when speaking in public or having a difficult conversation with a friend, can be learned as well. Psychologists often recommend that people think about a similar time when they experienced fear or anxiety. Reflecting on how that time felt before, during, and afterwards and then thinking about what was helpful or not helpful can enable a person formulate a plan for dealing with the new fear-producing situation. The classic example of imagining the crowd in their underwear when giving a speech illustrates this.
Experts say it is also important to differentiate between courage and heartless actions. A soldier who fights to protect his homeland is exhibiting courage; one who fights simply out of hatred or malice is exhibiting callous disregard for others. Likewise, a person who confronts a friend who has hurt him or her out of a desire to preserve the relationship is acting with courage, while a person who attacks that friend with vicious words with no consideration for the friend’s feelings is acting out of malice.
Bibliography
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Lobozzo Aman, Jodi. “The Biology of Fear.” Healthy Place, 29 Feb. 2012, www.healthyplace.com/blogs/anxiety-schmanxiety/2012/02/the-biology-of-fear. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
Marcus, Bonnie. “10 Ways You Show Courage Every Day.” Forbes, 10 Dec. 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/bonniemarcus/2017/07/17/10-ways-you-show-courage-every-day/#64f1e45362b4. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
Pasternack, Martha. “Living Fearlessly and Being Courageous: What Does that Mean?” Huffington Post, 21 Oct. 2012, www.huffpost.com/entry/courage‗n‗1798860. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
Perkins, Rebecca. “The Real Definition of Courage.” Huffington Post, 6 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/the-real-definition-of-courage‗b‗6857068. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“What Is Cortisol?” WebMD, 13 Dec. 2022, www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-cortisol#1. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“What Is Courage?” Common Sense Media, 2 June 2020, www.commonsensemedia.org/character-strengths-and-life-skills/what-is-courage. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.