Courage is powered by fear Aristotle believed courage to be the most important quality in a man. “Courage is a mean with regard to fear” (Aristotle). Courage is the willingness to act in spite of fear. Courage is not the absence of fear; it requires fear. As a human being, fear is part of everyday life. Without the concept of the fear, courage wouldn’t exist. On the other hand, risk is, by nature, scary. It’s uncertain, unpredictable. Having the courage to take risks in life is important in order to conquer fears. The belief in one’s unworthiness drives one to live a fear-based life.
The fear of showing people one’s true self in order to avoid the one aspect, vulnerability, makes a person courageous. Fear and courage are connected. Expressing one’s actual feelings, thoughts, as well as desires requires acknowledging one’s fear; in addition to knowing what could be lost. In order to conquer fear, one must force themselves to face what scares them. One is only fearful of “fear itself” (Franklin D. Roosevelt). Fear and courage greatly improve one’s life. Nelson Mandela was a brave man who stood up for what he believed in.
He actively took part against the racial inequality and injustice. Nelson Mandela was arrested and charged with treason. His actions for change took extreme courage. His actions were not influenced by fear. Courage isn’t acting without fear, “but the triumph over it” (Nelson Mandela). Knowing the consequences of his actions, Mandela was not willing to back down. Nelson Mandela’s courageousness was demonstrated by fighting Apartheid forces and surviving a long prison sentence all for freedom and equal rights. Courage is important in order to overcome fears and achieve a desired goal.
Fear exists in everyone. No one lives without fear. Being fearless is not required to be courageous, one has to overcome fears in order to possess courage. Risks are involved when overcoming fears and going against the norm. Risks come in different types, risking life, risking reputations, risking limb. The greatest risk “is not taking any risk” (Mark Zuckerberg). A person must have courage to endure each particular risk. A person who is not courageous enough to take risks will “accomplish nothing in life” (Muhammad Ali). Courage happens anytime, anywhere, and any day.
Courage is experienced by all; no matter how young, old, wise, or foolish. The effect of courage may not be positive, however, the outcome is remembered. The rewards have the potential to be great, but so do the costs. People have tried hard to defeat fear, to rid the mind of it, with no success. Fear is inescapable, whether it’s fear of additional responsibility, fear of rejection, fear of failure. Fear can’t be stopped, however, fear can stop a person from being what is aspired to be. When fear is accepted, courage is strengthened.
Fear is obtainable by understanding it; not letting it control one’s actions. Choosing to be courageous is accepting fear head on. Courage is a choice. Overcoming fears when the odds are stacked against any person is a requirement for courage. A person is courageous when fear is present, yet they still choose to act in spite of it. Frederick Douglass demonstrated courage through his passion to learn, to read, to write. The risk of being caught was tremendous, “it is almost an unpardonable offence to teach slaves to read” (2).
Without a risk, “there can be no progress” (Frederick Douglass). Douglass’s goal was to attain his freedom. He wanted to be acknowledged as equal to a white man. He refused to accept anything less than his own spiritual, physical, and intellectual freedom. Courage is a quality not possessed by everyone. Firefighters are courageous people. Firefighters are willing to take risks in order to help others. Firefighters are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice by risking their life. Everyday, men and women put their life on the line in order to save a stranger’s life or property.
Firefighters face fear, overcoming it, standing strong, showing bravery. Clearly, becoming courageous definitely changes one’s entire life as it would affect every aspect of a person’s personality and trait. Courage is an important trait to be won, in addition “to being [one] of the hardest” (Anthony Robbins). Most people think about themselves as courageous, yet they resist the feared. Fear can be an enemy or an ally, it’s a choice. If fear is resisted, then it becomes the enemy. As a result, it’ll be a losing battle.