essay on importance of courage

Essay About Courage: Top 5 Examples and 6 Prompts 

Courage covers a range of topics and meanings. Here are examples and prompts to help you write your essay about courage.

Many believe bravery and courage mean the same thing and even use them interchangeably. However, though both describe heroic acts, they are not the same. Where bravery is the lack of fear, courage is taking action despite it. 

Some argue that courage takes more strength because it means sharing your story even though you may be ridiculed, rejected, and misunderstood. It takes courage to admit when you’re hurt or feel lost, vulnerable, and need help. 

If you’re having problems channeling and describing what courage is, here are examples that will assist you in connecting with this subject:

1. My Opinion About Courage by Gary Collins

2. moral courage by fernando wood, 3. courage by benjamin patrick, 4. the importance of courage by saloni, 5. essay on courage by manasi shewale, 1. what does courage mean to you, 2. your most courageous act, 3. a courageous hero, 4. things you are most afraid of, 5. what creates doubt, 6. a time when you failed to show courage and regretted it.

“And even then, she had no grudge against the world. She doesn’t think the world owes her. She never takes money or even grains that she hasn’t earned.”

In this essay, Collins shares his experience with courage through someone named Sunita. Sunita told Collins about her life and what made her who she is. Such as at a very young age, she fought to support herself because no one would have done that for her, and many other tales. 

Her stories made Collins realize how lucky he is and how he should be grateful for the many opportunities that come his way without the need to suffer as she did. He also includes that Sunita lives on to inspire others with her courage.

Check out these essays about beliefs .

“Moral courage is standing up for values such as honesty, fairness, compassion, respect, and responsibility but just having these values are not enough we have to try to put them into practice, and we have to commit to moral principles as well…”

Moral courage is doing what’s right and following what your conscience dictates. Wood has three significant elements of moral courage: principle, endurance, and danger.

He explains moral courage through Geoge Norris, Nelson Mandela, and Malala Youssafzai. These people took risks even if their lives were in danger to follow their conscience and do the right things. Wood instills that moral courage is essential in making a critical move, especially when choosing the greater good.

“Courage is the only thing that gets us through the hard times, and the tempting opportunities. Courage is vital to the evolution of the human population. It is also an essential quality to becoming a successful person.”

Patrick discusses how courage helps a person succeed in life. He mentions that we all have courage, but some use it differently than others.

He gives an example of a girl who plays hockey, where the other members are all boys. They looked down on her because of her gender. But instead of giving up, she took it as a challenge and courageously showed them she could play at their level. She became friends with most of the team, but there was one boy who kept on bullying her. The boy misused his courage, but the girl used her courage to fight him off.

“Courage is mental and moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. It is the firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty.”

Saloni’s essay shows two kinds of courage: physical and moral. People who depend on physical strength show physical courage. They can protect and help others. If a person is weak, they are not physically courageous. 

On the other hand, one’s honesty connects to their moral courage. They are the ones with convictions and don’t support evil works. Even if you are a weak person, you can still be morally courageous. Unfortunately, this courage is rare nowadays because people are afraid of being attacked mentally and emotionally. To be morally courageous means to be a fighter to go against wrong-doings.

“It is very difficult to keep up your morals and therefore, gather up the necessary courage to fight against the wrong situations. Therefore, in today’s date, it is even rarer to find a person with the proper morals required to live a satisfactory life.”

Shewale shares little acts of courage in our everyday lives – such as a girl who loves to dance but is afraid of the stage or a person who’s readying themselves for a job interview. Courage is not only shown in grand scenes but in small acts that help us survive our daily lives.

The author further discusses events where courage helps in more controversial fields, such as injustices to farmers and students’ bullying. 

If you want to upgrade your writing style, check out these top essay writing tips to level up your essay.

6 Prompts on Essay About Courage

After reading relevant examples in essays about courage, it’s now your turn to try your hand at creating one. Below are prompts that can guide you in your essay writing:

There is no one definition of courage. It differs from each individual, and its meaning is affected by our experiences and knowledge. In this prompt, share the word “courage” and discuss what courage means to you. When do you feel courageous, and why? Then, describe personal experiences of being courageous or stories of courageous people who inspire you.

Think about a time when you were courageous. Create an essay based on this event and describe in detail what happened. Convey your thoughts and feelings, and show why you were courageous. 

Write an essay about a hero in your life. This could be a celebrity you admire, a relative or friend, or a teacher in school. Describe why this person is courageous, why you look up to them, and how they inspire you. Make sure to include fine details of their personality and how they act. This will make for an exciting and compelling essay.

The first step to being courageous is acknowledging you are afraid. Then, to get your fears out of the way, you need to identify what and why they exist. This prompt lets you connect with your readers who have the same worries. 

For example, you can share that you’re afraid of rejection, being alone, etc. Then, discuss why and what you plan to do to overcome them. You can also write about how you plan to be courageous while still afraid.

Our greatest challenge to succeeding in something is doubting ourselves. When we doubt ourselves, we start to think of all the things that can go wrong. So we show our courage by being afraid of these negative consequences but still trying and hoping for a good result. 

Share an experience when you still tried, even when you’re unsure. It doesn’t need to have the best ending. You only have to prove that it’s better to try and fail than fail without trying at all. 

There will always be times when we desperately want to be more courageous but fail to do so due to various factors. Write about that experience, share your feelings, and what you’ll do if you have the chance to repeat that situation. 

Do you want to write about another topic aside from courage? Check out this list of best writing topics for students !

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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Courage as an Important Virtue in Life Essay

In a societal context, courage is a state of an individual’s ability to venture, endure and resist hazard, terror, or difficulties. A courageous person is considered to be brave in society. There are different types of courage that enable individuals to discover their abilities. Venturing into a new business and also soldiers going into war with an aid of protecting citizens is an act of courage in a society. Courage is an important virtue in one’s life since it boosts self-confidence and helps an individual venture into risky activities that have a good final product. A multidisciplinary perspective on courage should be advised since it elevates a person’s confidence, enabling them to endeavor and persevere circumstances thus achieving desired goals.

Courage is an essential virtue that is traditionally sought after and lauded as a crucial quality. Described by Maya Angelou as the most important of all the virtues because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently”, it is composed of different types, including physical courage, moral courage, social courage, spiritual courage, emotional courage, and intellectual courage (Shew &Garchar, 2020). Moral courage is a form of ethical behavior that involves a person doing a good thing despite possible risks such as the loss of a job. An example of moral courage entails the prevention of listening to gossip and also practicing good qualities even when nobody is watching. Social courage entails individual confidence to attend social events and be ready to face embarrassment and mockery. An example of social courage involves performing in concerts and also creating charity events and presenting a group in a social forum. It plays a vital role in an individual that encourages networking. Finally, spiritual courage refers to unfolding ourselves to our own susceptible and the enigma of life. Examples of spiritual courage includes attending different religious events and listening to their beliefs, and communicating honestly with individuals about death.

Intellectual courage refers to the capability of a person to tackle strenuous concepts, ask for illumination and explanation, and challenge another person’s point of view. It broadens an individual way of thinking. A good example of intellectual courage is Edward Murrow’s famous World War II news broadcasts. Intellectual courage is often contrasted to physical courage, which mostly implies facing the threat of bodily harm as a part of a specific ethical dilemma. Physical courage entails facing physical pain, for example, engaging in deadly fights (Howard &Reiley, 2020). Examples of physical courage involve going into war. Specifically, when choosing between the fear of being heavily injured and the need to protect the loved ones and the freedom of one’s country, one demonstrates an instance of physical courage. Physical courage creates fitness and also prepares an individual to tackle any form of challenge. However, distancing the concept of physical courage from intellectual one completely would mean doing both an injustice since one is often accompanied by the other. Specifically, intellectual courage collides with physical one when having to demonstrate intellectual prowess in fighting the enemy and utilizing all available resources in a unique and original manner in order to retain tactical and strategic advantages.

Moreover, courage can be defined in different ways in modern society. Most frequently, it is interpreted as the ability to face difficulties and threats straightforwardly as opposed to avoiding them. However, courage may also be interpreted as overcoming a personal issue, such as admitting one’s fault or defeat (Pendlebury, 2017). Therefore, the diversity of definitions is quite impressive, causing the process of analyzing courage rather tricky. For instance, in the present-day context, courage may involve being able to oppose the ideas that are promoted as the unquestionable truth that must not be doubted in any circumstances. In the present-day social environment, when modern media makes it possible for cyberbullying and similar attacks to take most violent forms, leading to doxing and similar issues threatening one’s safety, expressing a dissenting opinion does take impressive courage.

Furthermore, an attempt to challenge the existing status quo in relation to societal norms can be considered an example of how courage is redefined in the present-day context. Despite the tendency to embrace cultural and social change in a number of communities, a significant range of modern institutions and communities remain steeped in prejudice. Therefore, challenging how specific populations and their needs are perceived ought to be regarded as doubtless acts of bravery and manifestations of courage. Even though the specified actions might seem as trivial from the perspective of a broader concept of courage as it was represented during the Civil Rights era and similar movements, the described scenarios also suggest mustering a significant amount of courage. For example, a rally geared at promoting the rights of a marginalized minority should be seen as an act of courage.

The essay comprehensively describes the word courage in various dimensions. In conclusion, courage is depicted as a virtue in life and its components are applied in different fields. Additionally, the importance of courage has been discussed for instance, it promotes peace, enhances good leadership, builds self-confidence, and promotes innovation consequently, leading to the success of an organization. Furthermore, the significance of courage as an act of selflessness and an attempt to challenge the existing status quo has been raised, thus, adding to the proposed definition of the subject matter. The essay is clearly essential because it illustrates to the reader how knowledge can be boosted for example, by acknowledging one’s fear and working on it.

Revision of a paper before submitting is essential because it helps a person to identify a mistake and rectify it. Style benefits from revision because it enhances the intelligibility and the conciseness of a document. The most challenging area in the draft paper is focusing on the topic to write about and an introduction as well because it is from them that a reader gets a broad view of the research. Avoidance of plagiarism, the capability of following given instructions clearly, and identifying grammar errors are the main strengths of the draft. Repetition of words is the main challenge and it can be rectified by avoiding unimportant phrases by using different words with similar meanings. It can also be prevented by using short sentences, using various transition words, and avoiding stating the obvious. The unfocused topic sentence is also a weakness and can be corrected by accentuating and broadening it with evidence.

This essay has a rather high significance since it examines the nature of courage as one of the major characteristics lauded in modern culture. Being courageous is typically seen not as an extra trait but as a necessary prerequisite for being respected. Moreover, the notion of courage is quite subjective, which complicates the subject matter even further. In turn, this essay considers the phenomenon of courage in its different interpretations, which is why readers are likely to care about this discussion. Currently it seems that the parts of the draft addressing the types of courage will benefit from the revision most. In addition, the analytical parts represent quite a struggle.

Howard, M. C., &Reiley, P. J. (2020). Physical courage predicts relevant outcomes in associated contexts: The creation of a measure and empirical analysis into the construct. Journal of Business Research , 110 , 80-94.

Pendlebury, G. (2017). Action and ethics in Aristotle and Hegel: escaping the malign influence of Kant . Routledge.

Shew, M., &Garchar, K. (Eds.). (2020). Philosophy for Girls: An Invitation to the Life of Thought . Oxford University Press.

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IvyPanda. (2023, June 27). Courage as an Important Virtue in Life. https://ivypanda.com/essays/courage-as-an-important-virtue-in-life/

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Courage as an Important Virtue in Life." June 27, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/courage-as-an-important-virtue-in-life/.

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7 Ways to Feel More Courageous

Sherri Gordon, CLC is a published author, certified professional life coach, and bullying prevention expert. She's also the former editor of Columbus Parent and has countless years of experience writing and researching health and social issues.

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

Getty Images / gregepperson

If you're like most people, you probably equate courage with fearlessness, but that's a faulty interpretation. In fact, courage is taking action in spite of the fear you feel. Courage is the willingness to respond fearlessly despite the anxiety and worry that might be tugging at you.

In fact, one of the best ways to be courageous is to understand what you're afraid of and then refuse to allow that fear to paralyze you. Because if you let it, fear has the power to stop you from moving forward, taking risks, and making the most of opportunities. Meanwhile, being courageous allows you to take chances, pursue your dreams, and get what you want out of life.

If you've been struggling with fear and want to feel more courageous in your life, there are a number of ways you can exercise your courage muscles and make the most out of every situation. Here's an overview of what you need to know about courage as well as tips on how to make sure you're living a life filled with bravery.

Benefits of Courage

Being more courageous in your life will help you respond appropriately to risks and accomplish positive things in your life. But it takes work to move beyond your fears. In fact, being courageous is about thinking things through, examining the risks and rewards, and acting in spite of the fear that inevitably sets in.

What's more, courage gives you the power to chase after things that are important to you. It also bolsters your self-confidence and allows you to believe in your abilities. Likewise, it's important that you realize that courage is not the absence of fear.

In fact, feeling fearful is healthy because it causes you to slow down and evaluate risks properly. Never beat yourself up or assume you are not courageous if you feel fearful. To be courageous means that you are able to act in spite of feeling fearful. Additionally, the more you are able to face your fears, the more you will replace your fear-based response with a courageous one. Here are some other benefits of courage:

• Being courageous in the midst of fear can build your self-confidence.
• Embracing courage allows you to see the world from a different perspective.
• Making courage a part of your life equips you with the ability to empower others to do the same.
• Choosing to step out of your comfort zone and be more courageous makes you a more well-rounded person and broadens the experiences you have in your life.
• Being courageous makes you a more successful person because you're more likely to pursue your dreams and seize opportunities as they present themselves.
• Embracing courage and incorporating it into your life will increase your sense of happiness .

How to Feel More Courageous

Being fearful is a powerful force that can lead to stagnation. In fact, if fear is not viewed correctly it can prevent you from achieving your goals and pursuing opportunities. Consequently, many people allow fear to keep them stuck in their comfort zone rather than flexing their courage muscles and trying something new in spite of the risks.

If you find this scenario sounds an awful lot like your life, you may want to delve a little deeper and determine the areas in your life where you could be more courageous. For instance, do you need to go after that promotion at work rather than just hoping they notice your hard work? Or, do you feel like you should speak up the next time the office bully is putting someone down? There are probably countless areas in your life where you can be a little more courageous. Here are some ways to help you embrace courage and implement it into your life.

Maintain a Healthy Perspective

Too many times, people assume that you are either born courageous or you're not. And while it is true that some people could be more predisposed to displaying courage, that doesn't mean that all is lost for you.   In fact, it's best to view courage as a muscle. And while some people might be born with more defined muscles than others, everyone has the ability to improve their courage muscles with the right training and practice.

Likewise, it's important to recognize that fear is not a bad thing. In fact, in some ways fear is healthy. For instance, fear triggers your nervous system and your survival instincts that are designed to keep you safe. For this reason, you might feel fearful when approached by a stranger in a dark alley or you might feel fearful during a tornado.

Instead of assuming that being fearful is a bad thing, look at it as an opportunity to learn more about who you are and why you might be afraid or less than thrilled about stepping out of your comfort zone. You might find that if you take the time to name your fear and understand why it's there, that you will uncover a better idea of how to overcome it or be courageous in spite of it.

In fact, research shows that putting your feelings into words helps curb your negative responses to fear.   Plus, voicing your fears doesn't make you weak. Instead, it makes you brave. After all, it is not easy to acknowledge where you are vulnerable. So, if you are able to acknowledge your fears, you're one step closer to being courageous.

Consequently, rather than minimizing your fear or denying that it exists, recognize what is holding you back. By acknowledging your fear—either by writing it down or by sharing it with a supportive person—you are empowering yourself to be courageous in spite of feeling fearful.

Identify Your Strengths

When it comes to living a life filled with courage, it helps to begin by identifying what you're good at as well as where you have been successful. In fact, research shows that people who recognize and develop their strengths not only feel happier and less depressed but are also more resilient .

Additionally, knowing what you're good at helps boost your confidence, which makes it more likely you will take risks and be courageous. Likewise, when you're confident in your abilities, you're much more willing to go all-in when an opportunity presents itself.

What's more, when you are struggling with fear and want to incorporate more courage in your life, it's natural to focus on your shortcomings and your weaknesses. But, doing this just makes it less likely that you will feel courageous. For this reason, it's important to think about what you're good at as a way of building your confidence and your courage.

Examine Different Scenarios

When it comes to being courageous, it's helpful to imagine not only the worst thing that could happen if you take a risk but also what would happen if you didn't act at all. Many times, comparing the two extremes is all you need to move beyond your fears because most of the time, the worst thing that could happen is often minimal in comparison to what you could gain by acting. If you regularly use comparisons like these, you will build an immunity to letting your fears control you over time.

Additionally, you can create scenarios where you envision yourself doing something that you're afraid of. Imagine how you will handle each possible scenario including how you might respond or what you might say. These exercises are a way for you to practice being courageous without having to put yourself out there until you feel ready.

Practice Leaving Your Comfort Zone

When you let fear keep you from doing something fun, going after something you want, or expressing who you are at your core, it can result in a life that is not truly lived. And if you want to change that aspect of your life, it's going to take being intentional about your life.

Building your courage muscles requires that you push yourself to step outside of your comfort zone. Consequently, choose some scenarios that make you uncomfortable, but where the stakes are not as high.

In other words, practice being courageous by overcoming little fears like meeting new people or eating alone in a restaurant before you tackle something like taking the lead on a project or heading up your community's toy drive. By starting small, you can get used to being courageous without a lot of risks at first. Eventually, you will get to the point where you can take bigger risks.

Reduce Your Stress

Sometimes people experience fear or feel like they lack courage simply because they are exhausted and the thought of doing anything more just seems too overwhelming. If you find that you're feeling overwhelmed, frazzled, or bogged down, look for ways to relieve stress. It's hard to feel courageous when you are stressed out.

Consequently, look for ways to reduce the stress in your life. In addition to taking care of yourself, look for ways to unwind and decompress. In some instances, that might mean taking a short vacation or some much-needed time off work. Everyone needs a break now and then. So, if you feel too overwhelmed with the thought of trying to be more courageous, it could be that you first need to reduce the stress in your life.

Celebrate Courageous Actions

Every courageous act should be celebrated—especially if living courageously is something new for you. So, don't fail to acknowledge the times when you acted with courage despite feeling fearful. It's important to pat yourself on the back and recognize the effort it took to overcome your fear. In fact, experts acknowledge that those who celebrate small wins tend to be more successful in the long run.  

Of course, you don't have to shout it from the rooftops or blast it on social media, but make a mental note of what you accomplished and allow yourself to feel good about that. You may even want to keep a journal of these little acknowledgments to reflect on at times when you're feeling discouraged or like your life lacks courage. Doing so will keep you from engaging in negative thoughts or assuming that you will never be courageous.

Welcome Failure

Most people are afraid of failure, which often keeps them stagnate or stuck in the same place. In fact, the fear of failure can lead people to develop rigid standards and become perfectionistic in an effort not to experience embarrassment or shame that comes with failure.

But failure is an experience that should be embraced. Remind yourself that failure is not a bad thing, especially if you took risks or stepped outside of your comfort zone.

After all, failure is an opportunity to grow as a person. It allows you to learn something new, change directions, and see what you're made of. And if viewed as a welcome experience instead of a worst-case scenario, it stretches you to try new things in spite of the risks involved.

A Word From Verywell

When it comes to courage, it's never too late to start living a courageous life. In fact, courage is simply another trait that can be developed with intentional effort and practice. All it takes is the determination to recognize your fears and the willingness to choose to act in spite of them.

And when you identify your fears and take a proactive approach to work through them in order to achieve your goals, you will not only build your self-confidence but you'll also be more successful overall. Look at your fears as an opportunity to build your courage muscles and before long, you will be able to push through your discomfort and live the kind of life you have always wanted.

Muris P, Mayer B, Schubert T. "You might belong in Gryffindor": children's courage and its relationships to anxiety symptoms, big five personality traits, and sex roles .  Child Psychiatry Hum Dev . 2010;41(2):204-213. doi:10.1007/s10578-009-0161-x

Lieberman M, et al. Putting feelings into words: affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli . Association of Psychological Science , Vol. 18, No. 5., 2007.

Steimer A, Mata A. Motivated implicit theories of personality: my weaknesses will go away, but my strengths are here to stay . Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2016 Apr;42(4):415-29. doi:10.1177/0146167216629437. PMID: 26984009.

Harvard Business Review. The power of small wins .

Sagar SS, Stoeber J. Perfectionism, fear of failure, and affective responses to success and failure: the central role of fear of experiencing shame and embarrassment . J Sport Exerc Psychol . 2009 Oct;31(5):602-27. doi:10.1123/jsep.31.5.602. PMID: 20016111.

Loscalzo J. A celebration of failure .  Circulation . 2014;129(9):953-955. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.009220

National Institute of Health. Hurt inspires us to build courageous cultures .

By Sherri Gordon Sherri Gordon, CLC is a published author, certified professional life coach, and bullying prevention expert. She's also the former editor of Columbus Parent and has countless years of experience writing and researching health and social issues.

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The Six Attributes of Courage

Quotes and exercises to help you be your best and bravest self..

Posted August 23, 2012 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

• Courage is not just physical bravery; it can also mean speaking out against injustice, for example, or taking a financial risk to follow a dream.
• Courage also means feeling afraid, yet choosing to act anyway.
• Reflecting on one's past displays of courage can help summon more courage for the present.

Courage is something that everybody wants—an attribute of good character that makes us worthy of respect. From the Bible to fairy tales; ancient myths to Hollywood movies, our culture is rich with exemplary tales of bravery and self-sacrifice for the greater good. From the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz who finds the courage to face the witch, to David battling Goliath in the Bible, to Star Wars and Harry Potte r, children are raised on a diet of heroic and inspirational tales.

Yet courage is not just physical bravery. History books tell colorful tales of social activists, such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, who chose to speak out against injustice at great personal risk. Entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs and Walt Disney, who took financial risks to follow their dreams and innovate, are like modern-day knights, exemplifying the rewards and public accolades that courage can bring.

There are different types of courage, ranging from physical strength and endurance to mental stamina and innovation . The below quotes demonstrate six different ways in which we define courage. Which are most relevant to you? In the last section, I present an exercise to help you define and harness your own courage.

1. Feeling Fear Yet Choosing to Act

“Bran thought about it. 'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?' 'That is the only time a man can be brave,' his father told him.” —George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

" Fear and courage are brothers." —Proverb

"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

"There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid." —L.Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

"Being terrified but going ahead and doing what must be done—that's courage. The one who feels no fear is a fool, and the one who lets fear rule him is a coward." —Piers Anthony

"Courage is about doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared. Have the courage to act instead of react." —Oliver Wendell Holmes

2. Following Your Heart

“Passion is what drives us crazy, what makes us do extraordinary things, to discover, to challenge ourselves. Passion is and should always be the heart of courage.” —Midori Komatsu

"And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition . They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” —Steve Jobs, Stanford commencement speech, June 2005

"To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself."
 —Soren Kierkegaard

“It takes courage...to endure the sharp pains of self discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives.” —Marianne Williamson, "Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of 'A Course in Miracles'"

3. Persevering in the Face of Adversity

"When we are afraid, we ought not to occupy ourselves with endeavoring to prove that there is no danger, but in strengthening ourselves to go on in spite of the danger." —Mark Rutherford

"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer." —Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

"Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them." —Orison Swett Marden (1850-1924)

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow.'" —Mary Anne Radmacher

“'Go back?' he thought. 'No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!' So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.” —J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

“It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.” —Mark Twain

4. Standing Up for What Is Right

"Sometimes standing against evil is more important than defeating it. The greatest heroes stand because it is right to do so, not because they believe they will walk away with their lives. Such selfless courage is a victory in itself." —N.D. Wilson, Dandelion Fire

"Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes." —Maggie Kuhn, social activist

"From caring comes courage." —Lao Tzu

" Anger is the prelude to courage." —Eric Hoffer

5. Expanding Your Horizons; Letting Go of the Familiar

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." —Lord Chesterfield

“This world demands the qualities of youth; not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination , a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease.” —Robert F. Kennedy

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

6. Facing Suffering With Dignity or Faith

“There is no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bear witness that a man has the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer.” —Viktor Frankl

"The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances." —Aristotle

"Until the day of his death, no man can be sure of his courage." —Jean Anoulh

"A man of courage is also full of faith." —Marcus Tullius Cicero

Courage-Building Exercise

For this exercise, you will need a notebook and pen, as well as a quiet, uninterrupted space in which you can reflect. Beginning with the first definition of courage—"feeling afraid yet choosing to act"—answer the following questions:

Think of a situation as an adult when you felt afraid, yet chose to face your fear.

• What did you observe, think, and feel at the time? (e.g., "I saw the rollercoaster and felt butterflies in my stomach")
• What did you or the people around you say, think, and do to help you face your fear? (e.g., "I told myself that if little kids could go on it, so could I")
• At what point did your fear start to go down? How did you feel afterwards?
• Now, think back on a situation in childhood in which you faced your fear. How was it the same or different than the first situation?
• Finally, think of a situation you are currently facing that creates fear or anxiety . What are you most afraid of? (e.g., being fired if I ask my boss for a raise)
• Now, is there a way to apply the same skills you used in the two earlier situations to be more courageous in this situation? Remind yourself that you have these skills and have used them successfully in the past. What mental or environmental barriers stand in the way of using these skills? How can you cope with or get rid of these barriers?

Repeat this exercise over the course of a week, using each definition of courage above. On Day 7, come up with your own definition of courage that is most meaningful to you and repeat the whole exercise using this definition.

Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D. , is a licensed clinical psychologist and life coach practicing internationally via distance technologies. She is a former professor, national speaker, and the author of The Stress Proof Brain .

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Courage is not the absence of fear. Courageous people do feel fear, but they are able to manage and overcome their fear so that it does not stop them taking action.

They often use the fear to ensure that they are not overly confident and that they take the appropriate actions.

How do they manage this? They have trained themselves to manage their emotional response to fear, so that they manage it rather than it managing them. This page sets out how you can learn to do this.

What is Courage?

Courage is a highly prized virtue, and many famous and respected people have spoken or written about it over the years. We probably all have an idea of what we mean by courage, or bravery as it is sometimes known.

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

Courageous people stand up against things that threaten them or the things or people that they care about. They take action in a way that is consistent with their values. Sometimes, however, the action required is not necessarily loud, but quiet and thoughtful.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

Winston Churchill

The other view that is often taken of courage is that it requires the taking of genuine risk, but with thought.

Courage and being brave is not about blindly rushing in, but thinking about it and then doing it anyway if it is necessary.

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.

T. S. Eliot

The Benefits of Courage

Acting courageously generally makes us feel good, because it involves mastering emotions.

The very fact that we celebrate courage so much tells us that it is a very human activity. Courage, in the sense of acting in a way that responds to risk appropriately, not over-confidently or in a cowardly way, will also help us to accomplish ‘good’ things.

Courage also helps us to act against those who threaten, or who act in a bad way. The Western world has traditionally revered bravery for itself; success is not necessary if courage is shown.

An Example of Courage

The celebration of bravery as an end in itself is seen in the celebration in the UK of Robert Falcon Scott, a man who not only failed in his mission to get to the South Pole first, but died on the way back, along with three of his team.

Spectacular failure, but unmistakeable courage: he (and they) knew the risks, yet chose to go ahead with their expedition anyway.

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Looking after your physical and mental health is important. It is, however, not enough. Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs suggests that most of us need more than that. We need to know that we are living our ‘best life’: that we are doing all we can to lead a ‘good life’ that we will not regret later on.

Based on some of our most popular content, this eBook will help you to live that life. It explains about the concepts of living well and ‘goodness’, together with how to develop your own ‘moral compass’.

Courage Governs and Overcomes Fear and Overconfidence

Fear and overconfidence are generally viewed as undesirable emotions. They make us feel bad, either at the time or afterwards.

Fear, like many emotions, is closely linked to survival.

We are afraid of things that threaten our survival, and our reaction is governed by an adrenaline response (which usually means that we are driven to ‘fight’ or ‘flight’). The physical effects of adrenaline include cold, clammy skin, as the blood is withdrawn to the vital organs to enable you to run away fast, the sensation of ‘butterflies’ in the stomach, shivering or trembling, and even chattering teeth.

Being afraid tells you when you are concerned that you may not survive something. However, as our page on Managing Emotions points out, your emotional response may not be rational. It is almost certainly linked to memory, perhaps a past experience, or something you may have read.

Questions to ask yourself to bring courage into play include:

What am I actually afraid of? Is it the right thing to be afraid of? Should I be this afraid of it – or rationally, should I be less or more afraid?

What harm can this thing actually do to me or others?

What are the things that could happen as a result of my actions and/or inactions?

What is the worst that could happen has a result of my actions and/or inactions?

What are the risks to me and to others?

Courage gives us the strength to evaluate an emotional response (fear) and act rationally and rightly.

Over-Confidence

Confidence is good.

Confidence gives us the power to act on our convictions, have faith in ourselves or in others, and take action. Over-confidence however, means that we may be too ready to take action, and take unnecessary risks.

Over-confidence is harder to identify than fear, because it’s a very positive feeling. Confidence feels good, and so does over-confidence. We don’t feel afraid, because we have not properly evaluated the risks.

To help to identify and overcome over-confidence, questions to ask yourself include:

• What do I believe I can achieve?
• How will what I do make a difference?
• How do I know that my actions will have an effect? How can I be sure that they will not do any harm?

Answering these questions rationally, and not with bravado, will help you to evaluate whether you are feeling rightly confident, or over-confident.

Fear and Over-Confidence are Two Sides of the Same Coin.

It is important to know whether you tend to suffer from fear or over-confidence, so that you can work on how to overcome that weakness, ensuring that you act courageously, and not either be overcome by your fears or take unnecessary risks because of over-confidence.

Developing Courage, According to Aristotle

Aristotle suggested that those who tend towards fear should think through how they can practise greater confidence, and those who tend towards risky behaviour should consider how they can learn greater respect for the real risks and dangers of a situation.

“The man, then, who faces and who fears the right things and with the right aim, and in the right way and at the right time, and who feels confidence under the corresponding conditions, is brave.”

Aristotle, (1115b15-19) NE III.7

Finding a Balance

Showing courage, as opposed to either cowardice or cockiness/over-confidence, is all about finding the right balance, which means that you need to think it through beforehand.

Ultimately, perhaps the question to ask yourself is:

How will I feel when I look back on this? Will I feel that I have acted in accordance with my values?

If the answer to the question is that you will be comfortable that you have done what is right, and is consistent with your values, then that is a good way to act.

On the other hand, if you’re concerned that you will feel that you ‘ ran away ’ or ‘ were a bit reckless ’, then you might want to think about alternative actions.

Crucially, try not to let your emotions, whether fear or over-confidence, get the better of you, but think rationally about what you want to do, and what is the right thing to do in the situation.

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Personal Essay: The Importance Of Courage In My Life

Importance of Courage In life, we are constantly having to deal with the things that are completely capable of destroying how we view ourselves. The things we encounter in our day to day living can create issues that may degrade our ultimate outlook on life. Although it sometimes can be incredibly difficult to understand the things that we go through. In order for some to make it through their days, it’s easier when one might have a simple motto to live by. Some believe that a simple motto is the best way to debacle those regular rough trials they experience. As I continually experience hard times in my life , I am constantly telling myself that I have to live each day with courage. As I comprehend that idea, then it becomes easier to establish an improved outlook towards life. It’s a given fact that in life we …show more content…

The summer before my junior year held many unfortunate events that I never would have expected. The things that I went through were heartbreaking and degrading. I easily could have given up. At first, I had the hardest time adjusting to a new environment. But as time went on, the easier it wa for me to understand what I needed to do. As I went through my experiences of my junior year, I began to realize how lucky I was to have had those experiences. I also learned how to apply those mistakes made by others to my own life, and begin to relate the different events to things that would have a possibility in taking place in my own future. I began to learn new lessons in life, and soon realized that forgiveness was a huge part of life. But as I struggled, I had to learn how to wake up each day and pretend like everything was okay. It might have been some of the hardest things I have ever experienced, but now that I am able to look back and relate each event that took place, I realize that I had magnificent amounts of courage for

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Calpurnia Changes In To Kill A Mockingbird

“Courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. ”(Lee,149) This quote meanings is, courage is not winning the battle or even participating in it, it means knowing you going to lose the battle, but fighting anyways and dealing with the embarrassment because you know you're in the right,so standing up for the right thing even if society is against it. This teaches to always fight for what you believe is right of fair.

Fahrenheit 451 Courage Analysis

Many people Question the definition of courage, it could be what a person does or even who they are. Courage is one of the most important things a person could have. For insists Guy Montag from the novel” Fahrenheit 451” shows acts of courage by standing up for something. Boo rabley from “To kill a mockingbird” does something to help somebody that takes courage. Last Eliezer from” Night ”which is a book that tells a life story of someone in the Holocaust Genocide, shows courage because he is in a life threating situation and stays strong the whole way through.

Marine Corps Core Values Essay

Shure being courageous isn't going to be fighting bears, climbing mountains and being a hero. Courage can be the little things to like having the balls to admit your wrong, or swallowing your pride to apologize to someone when you know you're wrong. Like honor their are a multitude of different scenarios in which one can be courageous. It mainly depends on where your roots lie, maybe in your mind it takes a lot of courage to hold a chicken due to an acute fear of avian creatures. Telling all your twenty

To Kill A Mockingbird: Literary Analysis

“Courage doesn 't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying ‘I’ll try again tomorrow’” - Mary Anne Radmacher. Through this quote one can see the advantages of real courage. One can really understand the true meaning of courage by reading the books To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. The book by Harper Lee is written by a 9 year old’s perspective named Scout.

How Baseball Has Changed My Life

When times get tough and adversity is thrown at you like a curveball all you can do is stay positive and know to never give up. Unfortunately I have had to deal with a couple scenarios where I have been faced with adversity. I have had to overcome my parents being divorced, and a family member who has overcame a drug addiction. That was one of the hardest things I was ever faced with going through middle school, but knowing that there will always be a tomorrow and to not give up on someone has had a positive impact in the end. It has brought my family closer than we have ever been.

Examples Of Courage In Night By Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel showed the importance of courage not just during his life occurring memory but during our everyday lives, he shows and gives examples of how courage could be the savior to your most difficult times.

How Did Patsy Takemoto Mink Show Courage

Courage is said to be one of the most important characteristics a person can possess. We all admire the ones that put their jobs and lives on the line. They are not afraid to go against what the human society believes in, and some put their lives on the line to protect their loved ones’ back home. Robert F Kennedy stated in Profiles of Courage, that “Courage is the virtue that President Kennedy most admired. He sought out those people who had demonstrated in some way, whether it was on the battlefield or a baseball diamond, in a speech or fighting for a cause, that they had courage, that they would stand up, that they could be counted on (Kennedy ix).

To Kill A Mockingbird Courage Quotes

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.(Lee 112)

My Archetype In High School

An archetype is a pattern of behavior that can help us understand ourselves and others. To have a greater understanding of myself, I recognized the person archetype of a student within myself and the archetype of a journey throughout my four years in high school. These archetypes helped me throughout high school and helped me gain knowledge that I can apply throughout my life. My first archetype is one that many people experience within their life, a student. Everyone in their life has learned something either by learning from others or from themselves (Archetypes, Intellectual archetypes).

Courage In The Help

The Help (2011) directed by Tate Taylor, is an inspirational, courageous and empowering story about Southern women in the 1960s. It's the story of the help: the black maids of Jackson, Mississippi, and the relationship with their white employers. The central theme of the film is courage, and how the characters embrace courage to overcome obstacles and fight for social justice. Whether it is their ability to deviate from in-group norms, or overcome fear, courage is essential throughout the characters' journeys. In this essay, I will analyse the situations endured by the characters, and how they respond to these situations with courage.

Courage In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor” said Aristotle. Courage is an act of bravery one does that is frightening yet they still persevere. Courage is found in many different situations in the modern world like in members of our military, law enforcement, and many others ordinary people performing courageous acts to help better our society. Everyone wants to have courage since whether in music, Hollywood movies, fairytales, or books we are told courage is one of the most important attributes that can turn an ordinary person into a hero.

Definition Essay: The Meaning Of Courage

Whether one is in a scary situation, wanting to follow their heart, standing up for what they believe in, or having faith through a suffering time, they are all going to need some courage. People may think that some things take more courage than others or than some people are more courageous than other people depending what act of bravery they did. However, if one does something as simple as admitting that they they lied about something, that sometimes takes just as much courage as going to check out that “mysterious noise” downstairs in the middle of the night. All in all, courage is needed for all kinds of things, it just depends on the person, their fears, and their beliefs. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

Character Analysis Of Cassie Logan In Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry

Courage doesn 't just help you it can also help other people around you too. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, Mildred D. Taylor uses Cassie Logan as an example of courage, although she has faced many rough and harsh times she has used courage to overcome them. Cassie faces many challenges but some of the ones that stood out to me were, standing up to the teacher when Little Man did not want his book because of the condition that it was in, standing up for herself at the Mercantile when she was not waited on, and T.J when he was not being so nice to Cassie and the Loganś. Cassie was a very smart and intelligent person. She always wanted to know what was going on because she wanted to know if there was something that she could do to help.

Adversity Is Important To Me Essay

Throughout my life, I have faced adversity everywhere I go, no matter what I do. So when people tell me that they have had a rough day, my favorite thing to tell them is, “Remember that adversity builds a man.” This philosophy has carried me a long way, and most importantly has allowed me to grow into the individual I am today. One of my biggest personal accomplishments, which was being able to play college baseball, was spurred on because an upperclassman told me I would never be good enough to play high school varsity ball. I proceeded by taking that player’s starting job the next year.

An Essay About Courage In Life

Courage is defined as, the ability to do something that frightens one. Something that is outside your comfort, that is hard for you to do. You must be brave and daring, or in other words fearlessness. The action of courage can not only affect yourself but also the people you surround yourself with. These people are the people that show who you are and what you do.

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Essay on Courage – What is Courage Essay and Importance of Courage Essay in English

June 16, 2021 by Manasi Shewale Leave a Comment

Table of Contents

What is Courage?

If we go to see for the actual or literal meaning of courage, it refers to “an act of bravery or to do a challenging task without being afraid”. Now, when we speak of doing a challenging or a difficult task that does not mean to go and act rashly or do some unlawful thing.

A courageous act can be a small act also which is done when a person overcomes his fear and then goes and performs the act. It can be anything, for example, a small girl who loves dancing but is afraid of the stage where she must perform. When she overcomes her fear and becomes brave enough to perform her dance, it is called a courageous act.

Why is Courage Important?

To be courageous or to have that much confidence to overcome our fear is courage. We fight our fear in our daily lives as well. For example, when a person goes for an interview, he or she will feel some kind of nervousness or anxiety or insecurity about his/ her skills.

These feelings and the emotional state of mind can affect one’s behavior and therefore, have a bad effect on his/ her interview. Therefore, it can be said that being courageous enough to make use of the given opportunity is a very essential factor in today’s world of competition.

We all know the hardships faced by every working person in our country. The hardships regarding studies, career, a person having a very good (but stressful) job, etc. all require some or the other courageous input to achieve the goal.

Even the first day of our college needs us to gather up some courage and make some good self-introduction and make some friends. The first impression is the best (or the last) impression. This is the most famous saying and therefore, we need to have enough courage to stand up for ourselves and make an impression.

Now, as there are some above mentioned situations where we need courage for our own benefit, similarly, there are other situations where we need to be brave, not for our benefit but for the entire society or our environment, etc.

For example, it takes courage for a person to fight against the injustice faced by him or his fellow companion. The best example of this can be of the farmers. Today’s situation of the farmers’ financial condition and the ongoing summer season is going to take a heavy toll on the farmer to earn the daily bread.

To fight against this condition, they need many things but courage will be the most basic thing required by all to at least stand up against the situation and demand for their rights.

There are many other unjust events happening in our daily lives, for example, eve teasing, a very bad aspect of today’s modern world. A girl has to face such rude and humiliating behavior everyday and neither the girl says anything against it nor does the people around her come to her aid to support if she is courageous enough to oppose to such public humiliation.

This is the real problem that is along with courage, one needs proper support and guidance to fight such events and bring out a change for the betterment of the society.

All these were examples of how a person needs courage and proper morals to fight for the injustice faced by himself and others. It is very difficult to keep up your morals and therefore, gather up the necessary courage to fight against the wrong situations.

Therefore, in todays date, it is even rarer to find a person with the proper morals required to live a satisfactory life.

Another aspect of having courage comes with adventurous activities. This type of courage is required to go on carrying physical adventurous activities. Many people of scared of adventures and therefore, they do not know how exhilarating it feels after completing the adventurous tasks or activity.

For example, a person wants to go scuba diving or sky diving but is afraid of the water or the height and the speed or maybe the pressure or anything which he finds will hurt him physically. Now, a person needs courage to overcome this fear and therefore, go ahead and live that adventure.

No third person is involved in pushing away one’s fear in case of such physical activities. The person should be brave enough and should have that mind set, that yes, he needs to jump of the cliff (adventure only) and then only will he be able to live the adventure and enjoy it to the fullest.

There are similar sensitive topics where courage is the need. We have the required strength to fight against the black holes but we do not have enough courage or we do not have the trigger that is needed to fight these social demons as well as our personal fears.

Courage is not a feeling neither is it an emotion, it is a trigger which when triggered with enough force can make wonders and bring in a change in his life as well as in the society to live the better and face the bitter aspects of life.

These are different aspects of life which may include some adventures, some social stressful situations, personal issues, etc. which require courage at both, physical as well as the moral level to overcome the fear and be brave enough to live our lives satisfactorily.

About Manasi Shewale

Manasi Shewale loves to read novels and review them inturn. She is an avid reader of various topics of scientific interest in Chemistry and Biology.

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Essay on Courage: Meaning, Elements, Importance

Category: Essays and Paragraphs On November 21, 2018 By Mary

Courage can be described as the ability to confront and control the fears that you have. It is the ability to confront life difficulties including pain, uncertainty, danger or intimidation.

Courage may also be termed as bravery or boldness. There are people who are courageous since birth while there are other people who gain courage later in life due to various events or happenings. There are various ways that you can identify a courageous person.

Elements of courage

• The first element of courage is self confidence . Most people who possess courage have been found to be more self confident than people with no courage.
• Courageous people have also been found to be compassionate towards others. They have the tendency of placing other people’s needs ahead of their own.
• Courageous individuals also possess high levels of They usually back up their words with actions that prove their intentions.
• Courageous people have also been found to be more objective than people who possess fear.
• Courageous people are also able to embrace the unknown more easily. This is because they possess faith to believe that things will work out in the end.
• Courageous people have higher levels of conviction as compared to people with no courage. They strongly stand with what they believe in.
• Courage will also give people strength in times of adversity. They handle problems as they come and do not run away from them.
• People with courage put more emphasis on action. They believe that it is better to prove your worth through actions than words.
• Courageous people also possess more leadership qualities as compared to those will less courage.
• Courageous people are also willing to face challenges. The do not wait around for things to happen but they stand up and confront their challenges.

The importance of courage

• Courage gives you more confidence. This is because you will be able to face various challenges and rise above your fears.
• Once you possess courage, you will be able to live a more fulfilled life. Courageous people possess higher levels of happiness and higher levels of satisfaction in life.
• Possessing higher levels of courage will also enable you to build better and more constructive relationships. This is because you are able to interact with people more easily.
• Having courage will also propel you to higher levels in your career. You will be able to negotiate salaries and promotions and also connect with your co-workers.
• Courage also improves our public speaking skills. You will be able to tackle the fear that may people have when it comes to speaking to large crowds.
• Having courage will enable you to let go. You will be able to handle challenges in life as they come and you will not have the fear to try out new things.
• Courage will also help you achieve your leadership goals. With courage, you can lead a team to success since you have no fear of failure or challenges.
• Having courage will also increase your chances of achieving your dreams. This is because you have no fear of quitting and starting all over again. You are also able to try out new things.
• Courage enables you to stand with what you believe in. with courage, the chances of being influenced are very minimal and you are hence able to stay true to yourself.
• The other importance of courage is that it leads to better mental health. Courageous people have low levels of stress, depression or anxiety.
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Importance Of Courage Essay

How does atticus show courage.

Depending on the person, the idea of courage has many different meanings. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird's, the definition of courage is “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do” (149). The novels definition explains that one needs to do the right thing even if one doesn’t win.

Courage In Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

It is important to have courage because it will encourage and help you to meet new people and do better things for other people and yourself. In speak Melinda develops social problems because of her bad experiences in the past, which is why it took her a lot of courage to go to a pep rally for her school. This benefited her because it made her meet new people and socialize even if she didn’t want to, this made her step out of her comfort zone and gain self confidence. “I’ve always wanted to go to a pep rally. Can you imagine what it must be like to be on the football team and have

Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet Quotes

“Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is being afraid and doing it anyway.” This quote said by Lou Gehrig explains that courage isn't about having no fear; but rather, it is about one being filled with fear and deciding that something or someone is greater than that fear. In the book, The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford, the protagonist, Henry Lee, turns against the will of his father and his own country values to run after forbidden love. Even though Lee is afraid, he courageously proceeds to follow his heart.

Dorothy Day Research Paper

Courage is a cardinal virtue every human being needs. Courage is doing something frightening you are for the right being even if you are alone in your belief. Many regular humans have used courage also. For example Dr. Martin Luther King jr. stood up for all African Americans, even though almost everyone did not agree with him. He eventually helped end segregation by raising awareness. Sadly, Dr. Martin Luther King jr. was killed just for his beliefs. Today we celebrate a holiday for his great bravery. Bravery is a synonym of courage.

Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death !

A courageous action most often is associated with reaching a goal or task of importance, despite the dangers even risks associated with it (“Courage”). For any specific act to be considered truly courageous it must be reasonably thought about and determined that the goal is well worth the risk or danger (“Courage”). Courage so often can be put with words such as heroic, and bravery although with courage there can be a fine line between courageous acts and plain foolishness. All this can make people believe that courage only applies to physical actions. There are two kinds of courage moral and physical in many cases they are both displayed in a single courageous act; however, bravery must come before all else, because they are associated with reaching a task of importance regardless of risk.

Ordinary Courage Essay

Ordinary courage is a book that tells the story of an ordinary man who is inlisted in the continental army in the revolutionary war. Joseph Plumb Martin is the young man fighting in this war, at the time he entered he was just a mere 16 year old kid but by the time his time in the continental army was up he became a man. This is a first person memoir of what it was like for a regular person living in a war zone, and dealing with the everyday fears of food shortage, low morale, and danger of attack. This is something that many people in todays world could not handle because even some of the old guys in the

Odysseus And Newton Knight Character Analysis

One good example of courage is in Homer's epic poem, “The Odyssey,” when Odysseus enters the Cyclops’ cave. In the epic poem Odysseus and his men enter the Cyclops cave and the text states “We climbed, then, briskly to the cave. But Cyclops had gone afield..." (Homer 157-158). This example demonstrates that Odysseus enters a Cyclops cave and is not fearful. Odysseus enters the cave because he sees treasure and wants to get it for him and his crew. Odysseus chooses to enter the cave even though he knew the cave was the Cyclops home and this demonstrates courage, and this is why the trait should be encouraged. Another good example of courage that sticks out is Newton Knight, who chooses to help slaves even though he lives in the south during the Civil War. In the Biography.com Editors’s article, “Newton Knight,” Knight chooses to stop fighting for the Confederate Army and goes back to his hometown to help slaves, as the text states “They saw themselves as defending the residents of Jones County from the Confederacy” (Biography.com Editors 1). Therefore, this example demonstrates that Knight chooses to fight against the Confederate Army even though he lives in Mississippi. It takes a lot of courage to go up against the Confederate Army even though he lived in the south and almost everyone was against him. It should

Of Mice And Men Quotes Courage

Courage (noun): the ability to do something that frightens one, the strength in the face of pain or grief. In the novels Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the two characters Atticus and George both show courage throughout both novels. Atticus and George define courage by fighting alone when no one else supports them. “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do...” This quote states “you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” Meaning even though you start with a disadvantage you still push through and fight!

Atticus Adversity

Everyone has the potential for courage, however, not everyone takes advantage of it. Imagine the nerd taking advantage of talking to the pretty girl in the lunch-room and compare it to not taking the chance. Similarly, in Harper Lee’s story,”To Kill a Mockingbird”, characters employ their wits in order to overcome adversity. Frankly, when used, courage can help with the impossible.

Examples Of Courage In The Shwa Was Here By Neale Shunterman

The word courage has been tossed around for centuries. From Christopher Columbus to Drake. The definition is knowing that something scares the living daylights out of you, but facing it anyway. The thing is, there are many different ways to look at courage. For example, perhaps a book about courage. Let's take The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman. The book relates to courage because it show many examples of it by explaining some dares, challenges and messes two kids, one half Invisible, go through. The main person who shows courage is The Schwa, because he has to listen to a bothersome story, sneak into a cranky mans house, even though the whole town is scared of it, and gets in trouble with airport security.

To Kill A Mockingbird Persuasive Essay

As the world expands and our communities start multiplying, it seems to be arduous to interact with people who have a 50% chance to either be kind or cruel. Sometimes those vicious people can bring you down and make you feel so small ,but what can you do stop this? Courage comes around and pushes yourself forward through life’s challenges and obstacles. If you don’t know how to use it then there are some alternatives to help your quest to find the valor in you. The dramatic novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee has the most guidance in that area. Courage is the ability for people to attempt a risky task in their lives even when the likelihood of failure is very high.

Courage In 'Boys In The Boat'

Emotional courage is to test yourself and to risk

Harper Lee Courage Quotes

I believe that Harper Lee’s definition of “courage” is doing something even though you know you may lose, and it doesn’t matter if it’s physically or emotionally. Scout, Atticus and Mrs. Dubose all help explain this definition.

Bilbo's Courage In The Hobbit

People use courage all the time. Courage is shown in 9/11 videos with the first responders running into the buildings to save the people suffering, in the military when men and women go fight for the freedom and safety of our country, and sometimes in ordinary people in their everyday lives. In "The Hobbit", J.R.R Tolkien demonstrates how an ordinary person can be very couragous when faced with difficult obstacles. In Bilbo Baggins ordinary world, he lives in a shire called Hobbiton.

Essay on Courage: Definition and Importance

Courage is a necessity to overcome fears and achieve a desired goal. Fear is something that exists in all of us. There is no hero or any particular courageous figure that is without fear. Being fearless is not required to be courageous, one simply has to look past or overcome their fears to possess this great quality. When overcoming fears and going against the norm, there are always risks involved. There are different types of risks that come about. Someone could risk life or limb, while others risk their reputation. Either risk is serious enough that a person must have courage to endure that particular risk. Courage can occur anytime, anywhere, and often in our everyday lives. Everyone will experience courage no matter how young,

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Importance Of Courage

Show More As stated by Winston Churchill “courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen”. Throughout history, people have been inspired by major historical figures, such as Hercules or Achilles. The common point among these important figures is the fact that they all seem to possess one of the most important virtues which is the virtue of courage. “The courage”, a virtue that we usually define as the absence of fear or the ability to make the right decision against all odds, and the moral strength. This is why I am going to be focusing on which aspect of live the virtue of courage has come in place. First, the virtue of courage defined as the absence of fear. People admire those who throughout …show more content… It is clear that nowadays the challenges faced in our lives due to the high requirement of society put each one of us to a position where we will be facing the dilemma of respecting our fundamental values or not, and this is where the virtue of courage come in place. Nevertheless, before talking about the role of the virtue of courage in our lives, I will be laying some important values that have set up the base of our fundamental rights. These important values are the respect, the honesty, the loyalty, and so on … I honestly think that nowadays making the choice of respecting or adhering the concept of our fundamental rights is a courageous act. In a world filled with wickedness, carnage, and an unbelievable desire for money, and power make those who want to live the right way victims. Even the value of life has been denigrated to a point where we become senseless when seeing countless of people dying. The major problem of our world is the fact that we have lost the notion of what is right and what is wrong, just like we have lost the courage to stand for what is good. The willingness of standing for the values that have set up our fundamental rights is a courageous act. As a society we are very proud of our accomplishment, but we tend to forget that for each accomplishment made we had to pay a price, and we had to have the strength to pay that price. The strength that we had to produce is not a physical strength, in contrary, it was a mental strength. The mental strength to stand for the

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US schools taught me to sound poetic in my writing. My switch to a UK education required results.

• I moved from Southern California to the UK when I was 16. 
• My school experience in both countries could not be more different. 
• Now, as a journalist, I appreciate what both styles of teaching taught me. 

The first essay I turned in for the UK school I transferred to at 16 was for my English literature class — historically, my best subject.

I wrote about Tess of the D'Urbervilles; her pain, her isolation, the unfairness of her ending. The essay came back with the lowest grade I had ever received, alongside a single comment at the top: "This reads like poetry." When I thanked the teacher for the comment, asking why I had earned such a low grade , I was informed that she wasn't actually complimenting me.

My experience in my school in California was different

Growing up in Southern California schools, I knew exactly what it took to excel academically.

I read avidly, wrote passionately, and sincerely thanked my teachers at the end of every lesson. After all, they were the ones who awarded me my grades at the end of each trimester — being liked by them was imperative.

It wasn't much of a requirement for my essays to actually display knowledge of the subject I was writing about; if I could speak charismatically, both in my writing and to my teachers themselves, I knew I could get an A. Maybe it was a reflection of California as a whole, where self-presentation is curated like an art form.

Things in England were very different. Where American schools encouraged me to schmooze, quietly imparting the importance of every teacher's view of me upon my grades, my teachers in England worked only to make sure I clearly defined and argued my points, with no need for flowery language. My arguments needed to be concise and expertly navigated, following a strict structure of explanation, which allowed no room for my beloved adverbs and emotive descriptors.

In the UK, my exams were graded externally

The reason for this difference is clear. Rather than grades being determined and handed out by teachers like in California, in England, students sit externally-marked exams at the end of each year, the outcome of which solely decides our grades. It didn't matter to my English teachers if I was poetic, whether they personally liked me and wanted me to succeed — these things would do nothing to aid me in scoring well in my exams.

It took many failed essays to break my habits, convinced that if I just wrote a little more beautifully on the next one, my teachers would overlook my lack of evidence, quotes, and explanations.

Exams were more important for me in the UK than homework

On the plus side, another difference I experienced in the two countries' education systems is that these poor assignments didn't negatively affect my grades as they would have in the US; all possibilities of success hang on the exams.

Eventually, I learned to prioritize the techniques that would ensure the grades I so wanted, beginning to cut out superfluous language from my academic papers with clinical precision. I suppose it must have been the right decision because I ended up doing well enough in the fateful exams to land me a place at the University of Cambridge, where I undertook an undergraduate degree studying the philosophy and sociology of educational systems.

Now, as a professional journalist living in London, I'm grateful to be able to use both writing styles in my work. I still enjoy the employment of descriptive language I learned in US schools, and it serves me well in writing about the intimate topics that I cover in my job. But I equally find the concise, fact-based English style to greatly aid me in reporting and explaining the most important facts of any given event I am writing about.

I am passionate and persuasive, the product of two very different education systems which shaped me.

Watch: A top movie actor reveals how he learns different accents

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Guest Essay

We Are Squandering One of the Most Important Medical Advances of the 21st Century

By Francis Collins

Dr. Collins served as the director of the National Institutes of Health from 2009 to 2021. He leads the White House initiative to eliminate hepatitis C.

A little over a decade ago, I watched my brother in-law Rick Boterf die of complications from infection with the hepatitis C virus that took his health, his vibrant energy and ultimately his life.

A husband, father and practical joker, Rick designed and built intricate boat interiors in Florida. But then he experienced the slow onset of signs of liver failure, followed by an excruciating five years on the liver transplant list. At the time of his transplant surgery, an unrecognized liver cancer was discovered. Ultimately, Rick died in his sleep, a heartbreaking ending for a fine man who had suffered terribly at the hands of this destructive virus.

It was only two years later, in October 2014, that medical science provided a cure for hepatitis C infection. Based on groundbreaking research that later was recognized by a Nobel Prize, the treatment is simple — one pill a day for eight to 12 weeks, with essentially no side effects, and a 95 percent cure rate.

When the cure became available, I was serving as director of the National Institutes of Health. I was overjoyed that a cure had been approved, but the news was bittersweet. What gave me hope was thinking of the many other individuals and their families who would be spared from the misery that Rick and our family experienced. And to a significant extent, that hope was justified: These medications have cured about a million people in the United States.

But nearly a decade later, at least 2.4 million Americans remain infected with hepatitis C. About two in five people with hepatitis C don’t even know that they have the virus. Of those who do, many do not have access to the cure. Congress has an opportunity to turn this ongoing human tragedy into a public health advancement, by providing support for a five-year project to eliminate hepatitis C in the United States. But the time available for approval is growing short.

Hepatitis C progresses slowly. Over years, the virus causes fibrosis of the liver that can result in cirrhosis, esophageal bleeding and liver failure requiring transplantation. Hepatitis C is also the leading cause of liver cancer, responsible for half of the 40,000 annual liver cancer cases in the United States. Each year, about 15,000 Americans die from hepatitis C, many in their 40s and 50s. Given the safe and effective cure available for the last nine years, the correct number of deaths in 2023 should be zero.

Put simply, we are squandering one of the most important medical advances of the 21st century. It’s time to eliminate this threat to the health of Americans.

It’s no secret what has gone wrong . The cost of curative medications remains stubbornly high, so many insurance companies and Medicaid programs have erected barriers to coverage, requiring, for instance, abstinence from drugs and alcohol before people can receive treatment, referral to a specialist, or that the patient already shows liver scarring. Relatively few doctors offer treatment, and many sites where people at risk come for care do not even offer testing, let alone the cure. The result is that fewer than one in three people diagnosed with active infection get timely treatment.

After stepping down as N.I.H. director in 2021, I was asked to serve as the acting science adviser to President Biden. I learned that many other countries — including the United Kingdom and Australia — have taken great strides toward hepatitis C elimination. Egypt is essentially there . Will the United States be last? That can’t be the right answer. So I was delighted when in March, President Biden came out in favor of a five-year program to put the United States on track to eliminate hepatitis C.

The plan includes an innovative approach to provide broad access to curative medications, modeled on a successful effort in Louisiana . Under this approach, sometimes known as the “ Netflix model ,” a drug company or companies agree to provide full access to medications for a population in need in exchange for a set lump sum payment. In the current proposal, the populations who would have access to free hepatitis C drugs are Medicaid enrollees, the uninsured, Native Americans, and those in the prison and jail systems. If structured correctly, many more people can get lifesaving care and the cost per cure drops significantly.

Greater access to medications is necessary for a successful hepatitis C elimination program, but it is not sufficient. That’s why the plan also includes training, technical support and resources for primary care offices, federally qualified health centers, drug treatment centers, and jails and prisons, where rates of infection can reach 40 percent or more . To help more people find out whether they are infected, the effort will also help make available point-of-care tests that diagnose hepatitis C infection in less than an hour, allowing treatment to start in a single visit. That would be a major advance over the current tests, which require multiple clinic visits over weeks to return results and start treatment.

I’m not the only one inspired by the opportunity to end this devastating disease. I’m finding a lot of support among both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, from all parts of the country. But a key question is whether the effort can gain the full bipartisan support it needs to move in this Congress.

I believe it can. People treated for hepatitis C will avoid very expensive downstream medical needs for transplantation and cancer treatment. Furthermore, a cured person cannot pass it on to others; as a result, every case treated today means multiple cases averted in the future. An expert group has estimated that a national initiative to end hepatitis would save society more than $18 billion in health care costs over the next decade, with $13.3 billion of that savings accruing to the federal government.

Eliminating hepatitis C is the compassionate response for a nation that cares about all of its people — but it is also deficit reduction. It’s costing us taxpayers much more to live with hepatitis C than to cure it. Without action, we will continue to doom many more families to go through the same pain that mine did with Rick’s suffering and death. Inaction is indefensible.

Francis Collins served as the director of the National Institutes of Health from 2009 to 2021. He leads the White House initiative to eliminate hepatitis C.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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