Courage: "The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear"
-Dictionary.com
In our society courage means facing opposition "without fear." This mindset is seen everywhere, but is it correct? Courage in my mind is being afraid but controlling that fear and using to balance fearlessness.
If you contrast having no fear, to having fear, there is a very distinct difference in the way it causes a person to act. Fearlessness gives a person the strength to overcome fear, but usually results overconfidence. When someone has fear it holds overconfidence at bay, but causes them to be excessively cautious. Both can be hurtful on their own, but the chemistry of true courage is a combination of fearlessness and fear. True courage comes from an equal balance between these two opposite, but equally important forces.
My conclusion is that courage is incomplete without fear. Without it, courage would evolve into overconfidence, that would subdue caution, inevitably ending in foolish behavior. I'm not sure if its possible to be courageous without fear acting as a protection from making rash decisions.
Our society has put an incorrect label on fear and fails to recognize it as an important part of courage. They think that fear shows weakness, but rather the absence of fear is weakness.
-Dictionary.com
In our society courage means facing opposition "without fear." This mindset is seen everywhere, but is it correct? Courage in my mind is being afraid but controlling that fear and using to balance fearlessness.If you contrast having no fear, to having fear, there is a very distinct difference in the way it causes a person to act. Fearlessness gives a person the strength to overcome fear, but usually results overconfidence. When someone has fear it holds overconfidence at bay, but causes them to be excessively cautious. Both can be hurtful on their own, but the chemistry of true courage is a combination of fearlessness and fear. True courage comes from an equal balance between these two opposite, but equally important forces.
My conclusion is that courage is incomplete without fear. Without it, courage would evolve into overconfidence, that would subdue caution, inevitably ending in foolish behavior. I'm not sure if its possible to be courageous without fear acting as a protection from making rash decisions.
Our society has put an incorrect label on fear and fails to recognize it as an important part of courage. They think that fear shows weakness, but rather the absence of fear is weakness.
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