What is courage? The Oxford language dictionary defines courage as “the ability to do something that frightens one.” It can also be defined as “strength in the face of pain or grief”. The word comes from Middle English meaning (denoting the heart, as the seat of feelings): this word can also be traced from an Old French word corage, and from the Latin word cor heart’. Some might assume that when the word courage is used in a sentence the author means physical strength, however, some authors use the word courage to describe mental endurance and strong morals. The definition of courage should include the concepts and actions of passion, strength, and bravery.
Courage is not something that comes to a person naturally. It comes from someone’s passions. Passion has a broad reach in terms of definition, but it affects a lot of what humans think and do. Passion is something that makes humans boldly step out in uncontrollable ways. It is a way that humans feel capable of being bold. Throughout history and literature we see people do courageous things because they are passionate about their morals. If we take a moment to look at Achilles, who aided in winning the Trojan war, we can see how his value for friendship caused him to valiantly slay the leader of Troy. Due to his passion a war was won and an army was defeated. He gained his courage in the form of revenge for a fallen brother. The revenge was a reaction from his overwhelming emotions. If we take another look in history at Alexander the Great we can see the many successful military advancements he was able to make in his time. Alexander had many asspirations that pushed him to gain knowledge and understanding. He longed to gain power and political control over the world. It is because he wanted this authority that he sought out how to learn the ways of man. He was tutored by Aristotle who was a major philosopher who studied logic, ethics, and political theory. Alexander used the lessons he learned from Aristotle to achieve his passions. He used his knowledge in logic and politics to conquer many nations and lead them to greatness. Through the courage portrayed throughout time people’s passions are made evident. This shows that passion is indeed part of the definition of courage
Continuing with our definition of courage we see that courage without strength can accomplish nothing. One is needed for the other to succeed. Strength is often viewed as the bodily capability of doing hard tasks. However, mental strength and endurance creates a foundation for which courage can grow. Withstanding great obstacles implies that your mind is fully capable in the process of making a decision. Without this capability we are left with the mundane circle of purposelessness. Life without purpose is meaningless. With strength our lives become meaningful because we can act on our purpose. With strength courage is able to be applied into an active state. One way to gain strength is to place an importance on mental wellness. Seeking knowledge in how to take care of one’s body and mind will ultimately aid in the capacity of their ability to be courageous. This shows that strength is a way we can grow in our courage and act on it.
The last part of the extended definition of courage is Bravery. Bravery is the act of courage. It is when courage is seen, it is the evidence. When someone bravely steps out it shows that they have a foundation in their courage that is now effective. Being brave is a valuable trade for us to continue to grow. Being brave is a secondary reaction to being stopped by an obstacle. In order to be brave you must be faced with fear. Fear can cripple humans and hold them captive from the passions they seek to pursue. Therefore you can react with fear or with courage. Courage is therefore defined by bravery.
In conclusion, when faced with adversity the choice to act with courage can be extremely hard for one to make. Courage quite often means that the outcome is unknown. Without knowledge people are known to fail. However acting with simple boldness can make all the difference in any situation no matter the outcome. Courage does not require good things to happen. It requires hope to see an ending to the oppression, it requires seeking mental wellness so one can learn how to persevere, and it requires standing up when being pushed down. When faced with a wall that brings a person to their knees they can remind themselves of their desire to be on the other side of that wall. This desire can be used to muster up any strength the person might need to bravely get up and find a way over the wall. This is how courage can be attained and defined: use your passion to guide you, gain strength to withstand the blunt force of oppression then act upon it.
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