What Is Courage?

theBruiser500 · #1 08-14-2005, 01:23 AM

I have a couple threads going already in Politics and OOT about courage, and I brought this specific topic (what is courage?) up in OOT but I don't think they are up to it. What do you guys think courage is? I would say it's something you find tough or scary to do. Dictionary.com's definition:

The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.

this to me almost suggests that a person cannot do something that is really hard and scary for him to do. A specicial mood needs to come over him somehow that allows him to let go of bad emotions and deal with the problem at hand. This definition even seems a little demeaning because it's like you can't deal with a problem in your natural state, some weird mood needs to come over you temporarily "courage" where you don't find the problem to be a problem.

My friend suggested the definition, "something that other people find hard and scary to do" which really seems far off the mark to me. Like a rock climber say, I would say it doesn't take a rock climber courage to do what he does on a normal basis just because I find it scary.

Thoughts?

sexdrugsmoney · #2 08-14-2005, 01:53 AM

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I brought this specific topic (what is courage?) up in OOT but I don't think they are up to it.

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"Don't cast your pearls before swine" - Jesus.

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#3 08-14-2005, 01:59 AM

Courage is doing what you should do, in spite of the risk.

BluffTHIS! · #4 08-14-2005, 02:00 AM

Courage is a quality that allows one to do what he believes to be right or necessary regardless of the difficulties, danger or negative reaction of others. It's opposite is fear, laziness and too high a regard for the opinion of others.

And FWIW IMO Bruiser, you have shown a lot of courage that past 3 years or so in posting hands you played that you knew were played wrong, so as to benefit from the advice of better players. Many posters here wouldn't do that for fear of looking stupid.

theBruiser500 · #5 08-14-2005, 02:04 AM

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Courage is doing what you should do, in spite of the risk.

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not a bad definition, one_liner

#6 08-14-2005, 02:44 AM

courage is not "lack of fear" in a difficult or dangerous situation. it is in fact the opposite. courage is being able to act in spite of fear.

#7 08-14-2005, 02:52 AM

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Courage is doing what you should do, in spite of the risk.

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should, shouldn't. arbitrary.

chezlaw · #8 08-14-2005, 04:04 AM

Courage is doing what you believe to be right when you are scared to do it.

chez

#9 08-14-2005, 01:43 PM

In my opinion, courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death.

"The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage" Thucydides

Jim T · #10 08-14-2005, 01:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Courage is doing what you believe to be right when you are scared to do it.

chez

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Does there have to be, for lack of a better word, a "noble" purpose behind the action for it to be courageous? Or could someone who's afraid of heights demonstrate courage by trying skydiving, for example?