Courage—When You Need It and What Drives It
There’s a lot of talk of courage these days. In challenging times, it takes courage to face new risks, to be a force for change, and to stand up to oppression. If your life has been relatively free from risk and danger, suddenly having to find courage can be harrowing. But if you can: a) identify what you fear and why it’s scary to you, and b) explore what courage means to you, you may find courage you didn’t know you had. Some must find courage because they have no other choice, while others can see a context where courage is needed and must decide whether they have the courage and the conviction they need to test it. We all have some measure of courage, and we’ll invariably face situations in which we have to draw on it.
The nature of courage
Everyone needs courage at some point in their lives. It may be necessary when confronting an abusive boss or bully. It might be a situation where you’re life is in danger, like going to war or otherwise facing a life-or-death situation. Some have the choice whether or not to take a risk that requires courage, while others have no choice but to find it within themselves. In any case, courage stems from a drive. You see a cause, a situation, or a position that requires you to face danger or take a risk. Some will discover courage that they never thought they had, while others will struggle to find courage and may back away, realizing that, for them, courage was never within them.
When is courage needed?
We are currently facing unprecedented times in the United States, marked by the country’s increasing authoritarianism and decline in compassion. Immigrants, both legal and illegal, are being accosted and detained without due process, often splitting up families. Opponents of the regime are labeled as traitors and threatened with retribution. Fear and punishment are the methods the regime employs to handle judges, inspectors general, and whistleblowers involved in investigations, with personnel being removed from their offices or publicly denounced. All of these situations require a great deal of courage from those involved, due to the direct, brutal, and cruel approach of the regime. And all citizens, from members of Congress to average people, must decide what they can do to face and confront this threat to civility, compassion, and wisdom. Each of us must choose how to respond based on our strengths, where we can be most effective, and the amount of courage we possess.
What do we fear?
Courage is not the absence of fear; rather, it is the ability to come to terms with fear. Everyone has people, situations, or experiences that result in fear. Those with courage can identify what, specifically, they are afraid of, and either mitigate that risk or decide whether the risk is worth it. When you enter a situation that causes you to be afraid, it is always helpful to focus on exactly what it is about the situation that you’re afraid of. Determine the worst-case scenario, and explore what you might do to avoid or mitigate that outcome. If this is not possible, then you must decide whether you are willing to accept the worst-case scenario into your life to achieve your goal. Once your fear is related to something concrete and defined rather than an inscrutable potentiality, you will be much better able to draw upon the courage you need to face it. These days, we see scary events in the news, in our communities, and sometimes in our neighborhoods every day. These are disturbing, but we can be motivated to stand up to these events if we can define and face our fears; if we can call upon our courage.
When there is no choice
Some have the luxury of deciding whether they will stand up to oppression, while others have no choice. Immigrant families are facing the very real possibility of being detained and deported. They don’t have a choice but to face the challenge. They may feel that the situation is beyond their courage, but they have no choice but to face it. In these situations, people often find courage that they never thought they had. At some point, they resign themselves to their reality and do the best they can.
We can all learn from this example. Even if we feel we don’t have the courage to stand up to our challenges, the challenges remain. Your only choice is to find the courage and face the challenges.
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