Our society puts tremendous value on any number of given characteristics.
For instance, most people have felt some sort of pressure at some point in their
lives – either to do certain things or act a certain way. Courage
and bravery are two of these values that are often emphasized as positive
traits – we are told that they lead to strength and success.
However, these categories are not clear cut, and can be defined in
several ways. This can lead to confusion, a sense of failure, and
poor decisions. It is important to examine our definitions of courage
and bravery and explore the multitude of ways that one can exhibit
these qualities and gain a sense of contribution and achievement.
The first set of questions deals with the appearance of someone
who is “brave.” Some people may attribute certain characteristics
to someone who is brave – for instance, muscles or other signs of physical
strength. Other people may focus on the individual’s stance – for
instance, straight posture, strong eye contact, confident gait, or anything
that indicates that the person feels self-assured, and thus, brave.
Some people, however, may argue that one can be brave without looking
any different, they may even look less confident. These people may
put greater emphasis on the individual’s actions, words, and
behavior, rather than appearance.
The second set of questions deals with how we define bravery and
courage. Some people may believe that to be brave means to never
back down – to
be fearless and do anything. Others may disagree and argue that
such a mindset can be reckless and unproductive. They may insist
that being
brave and courageous is to not let others dictate your actions or
define your values. Rather, being brave is choosing for yourself how you
want to live,
which battles you want to fight, how you will react to various
situations. These people may consider blatant dare-devilness and
unconditional “bravery” to
actually indicate a level of weakness. It is much easier to go
with the crowd than it is to stand up for yourself and stick to
your own
decisions.
Furthermore, some may insist that bravery is not something you
can go out to find. Rather, one displays courage by handling situations
to the best of their ability, remaining true to themselves, and
making
decisions that are both thoughtful and right for them. Everyone
is capable of different things, and this may change at different
points
in life. Thus, it is impossible and futile to try to place
one action over another.
The last three sets of questions explore additional qualities of
bravery. Some people may believe that one is only considered
brave if others
identify him as so. Others may place emphasis on the individual’s
perception of himself. Furthermore, some people may feel that in order
to be truly brave, they must not exhibit any signs of fear. Other people
however, may argue that reversing to a moment of fear does not detract
from the brave moment. Instead, it could even make the person braver – it
could show just how brave they were. It also may be necessary for someone
to take a moment to re-gather his nerves.
It is important to explore the notion of bravery and courage,
and it is useful to see how there can be several variations and
aspects
to the
definition. We all want to be contributing members of society
and lead meaningful lives. It is important to instill in people
a feeling
of
self worth and value. By gaining a deeper understanding of our
own thinking and the thinking of others, we can become stronger
individuals
and a stronger community that values the bravery of every member,
regardless of what form that bravery takes.
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