What is courage? Definition. Historical examples.

What is courage is one of the most beautiful qualities of a person. Overcoming fear, a person becomes nobler and stronger. Not a single essay of reasoning or definition fully reveals this concept. The daredevil acts contrary to common sense, rejecting the laws of self-preservation.

In simple words, courage is a psychological character trait that allows you to act according to your own beliefs, constantly controlling your fears and irrational phobias.

Showing courage should not be confused with true courage. Under the influence of certain circumstances, in order to achieve unimportant goals, even a weak and insignificant scum is capable of an extraordinary act. As they say: “... once a year the stick shoots...”. A courageous person never ceases to be afraid. He consciously controls behavior and fights cowardice with internal resources. Nothing betrays his inner feelings. Outwardly, he is always calm and collected.

Courage in modern society

Bravery is definitely perceived as a positive personality quality. Historically, this is justified: in difficult natural conditions, only those individuals that acted fearlessly survived. The speed of reaction was also of great importance: it was necessary to analyze the situation and make a decision very quickly. Every day there were events that posed an overt threat: attacks by wild animals, natural disasters.

Later, social dangers were added to unfavorable external factors: military attacks, oppression from other community members. The ability to resist and defend one's natural rights was closely related to the ability to survive in a hostile environment.

Gradually morals softened and the situation changed. In modern society, it is not necessary to have remarkable physical strength, a terrifying appearance and other attributes of a brutal personality.

On the contrary, success is often achieved by physically undeveloped individuals who are poorly adapted to extreme situations. A person is not required, for example, to run fast, deliver knockout blows, or bend horseshoes with his hands. Courage is no longer perceived as a purely athletic characteristic. Reasonable caution is held in high esteem.

More often you have to face situations where self-control is required, the ability to keep your reactions under control.
Sometimes it is necessary not to instantly respond to external stimuli, but, on the contrary, to strictly suppress one’s natural physical actions. A classic example : a boss scolds a subordinate. He happily yells, insults, and slams his fist on the table. A natural reaction on the part of a subordinate: shout back, respond to insults physically, throw a letter of resignation in your face. In the distant past, such actions were regarded as the only correct ones. Our contemporary will be condemned for this: you can’t control yourself, you’ve lost your head, you have no self-control , you have no self-control . It is also possible to fight for a place in the sun in the modern world. However, direct physical influences are condemned. More subtle moves are in use: intrigue, skillful denunciations, slander. Just remember politicians or show business stars.

Portrait of a brave man

It is almost impossible to identify a brave person at first glance: this is not a running line on the forehead, not verbal bravado and trumping deeds (usually cowards behave this way, wanting to look more significant in the eyes of others).

A person endowed with courage, on the contrary, is quiet, calm and does not give anything away.

Any personality demonstrates all its ins and outs in crisis situations - when there is no time to pretend, broadcasting a socially approved image to the world.

How a daredevil manifests itself:

acts in accordance with the principles and ideals that he “professes” in a safe environment, ordinary life;
does not lose composure, acts decisively, doing what is planned;
honestly expresses his opinion, even if it is unprofitable and may have negative consequences.

What makes people be brave? Well, really, why would you climb a tall tree for the sake of a kitten sitting on it? Stand up for a girl who was attacked by bullies, ask your boss for a raise, openly talk about your dissatisfaction with others?

In such situations, fear speaks to everyone the same way: “Don’t interfere, why do you need this? You will be healthier."

However, people give different reactions - those who ignore the frightening voice rely on the following motives (what is it?) :

moral values acquired during upbringing and turned into internal attitudes (the weak must be protected, I must not be a coward, people must be helped, etc.);
despair - can be described by the phrase “I have nothing more to lose”;
a bold act that was calculated and planned in advance (you trained for a long time before going on stage);
cowardice - oddly enough, it can also push one to heroic deeds (how is that?). In such a situation, as a rule, there are “two evils”, of which the person chooses the lesser (crash in a falling plane or jump out of it with a parachute).

Courage is approved and condemned

The less developed a society is, the more sharpness and pressure are valued in it. This also applies to small groups. So, in the barracks, on a construction site, in any male team, it is important to immediately show physical strength, the ability to fight back, to put the offender in his place. The same qualities in a student classroom or in the office of a large organization will cause bewilderment and secure the person’s reputation as a dangerous inadequate person.

Special mention should be made of the professional army community. The courage of a warrior is an honorable quality; it is extremely highly valued among men. Pathetic scenes in films glorify courage and determination on the battlefield. Not a single military movie is complete without poignant footage of the courage of the “heroes of bygone times.”

We are faced with an interesting paradox. Determination has been cultivated for centuries. Valor on the battlefield and courage in extreme situations were glorified in literature . And in recent decades, the average citizen, a resident of a large city, has nowhere to realize these qualities. There are strictly defined and approved opportunities to demonstrate fearlessness:

sport. Competitions in various types of martial arts and team sports are a great way to throw out excess energy. The outcome of the match directly depends on the speed of reaction. On a football field or in a boxing match, it is allowed to use rough painful techniques and inflict injuries and mutilations on the opponent.
extreme entertainment. An intermediate option between sports battles and reckless (“crazy”) action. These include auto racing, parkour, base jumping, and rafting. Recently, new types of extreme sports have appeared (selfies in dangerous places, hooking). Teenagers are willing to take risks for the sake of a beautiful picture. In general, society condemns unnecessary risks. But within the group, such behavior is assessed as decisive and fearless. The newly minted “hero ” gains a reputation as a daredevil.
sport mountaineering, diving, bike riding. This is entertainment for the rich and wealthy. To get adrenaline, they are ready to shell out large sums and travel to distant lands. There is only one goal: to escape from office everyday life, to shake things up, to live by real men’s rules. Solid extreme hobbies help to establish informal contacts and expand your circle of acquaintances. That is why they are so loved by extroverts who cannot imagine themselves outside the seething cycle of events.

Biography of Eugeniusz Lazowski: salvation by typhus

Among the heroes of World War II there is a not very well-known name of a doctor of Polish origin, Eugeniusz Lazowski, who was able to save more than 70 thousand people from death in concentration camps. Before the start of the war, the young scientist was successfully engaged in private practice, but German troops changed his plans.

Having arrived as a medic in the Auschwitz camp, the doctor and his childhood friend came up with an effective and reckless way to save the camp prisoners from genocide. During his peaceful practice, Lazovsky discovered that dead bacteria of the causative agent of typhus give a positive test result. Using this fact, the doctor created a massive false epidemic.

This brave act had an effect because of the Nazis' sensitivity to the health of their own soldiers. The Nazis closed the camps for quarantine to protect the German population.

The doctor maintained the illusion of an epidemic until the arrival of the Soviet army. For 3 years, Lazovsky saved more than 60 thousand Poles and 10 thousand Jews from death. After the surrender, Evgeniusz left for the United States, where he resumed his medical practice. The doctor repeatedly asserted that his actions were guided by a sense of duty to suffering people.

Masculine and feminine: courage and self-sacrifice

Representatives of the stronger half of humanity are ready to sacrifice their time, money, and health in order to demonstrate their inherently masculine qualities. How does a woman behave in an extreme situation?

Let us note right away: too decisive female behavior has always been condemned. For the weaker sex there was a clear division into decent and indecent. Only men were allowed to show excessive initiative, act straightforwardly, and embark on dangerous adventures. A woman, on the contrary, was less active in exploring the world, defending her own rights, and making decisions. Of course, the situation is changing, but social stereotypes are too tenacious and clumsy. Therefore, on the one hand, a woman is required to be soft, submissive, and weak, and on the other hand, responsible and active.

The mechanisms of the psyche are the same. In moments of danger, both women and men are capable of decisive and reckless actions. This is especially noticeable in relation to children: there is no sacrifice that a mother would not make in the name of her son or daughter. This behavior is natural, because based on instincts.

The only caveat: babies grow up and less often need protection from their mother. Relationships should be transformed, and not stuck at the level of endless sacrifices. Blackmail is not acceptable. Otherwise, the mother will raise an unadapted infant, and not a full-fledged personality.

From a psychological , it is difficult to explain the phenomenon of courage. A person consciously takes risks, commits actions that cause discomfort, pain, and physical harm. In other words, he acts contrary to nature, which demands: “Run away! Hide! Hide! Not everyone is capable of meaningful action at the right moment. Therefore, cowards are condemned, and the brave are praised. But where are the origins of courage? Is it possible to control your behavior? Is it possible to cope with paralyzing horror?

The duality of courage

This quality belongs to the category of neutral, that is, capable of bringing benefit and harm to a person equally. Courage is ambiguous; it can cause harm when a person cannot separate personal desires from the primary task. Because of this, courage often develops into selfishness and pride.

Courage means overcoming fears that prevent you from moving towards your goal. Due to the duality of feelings and the suppressed instinct of protection, a courageous person is unpredictable, his motives are often illogical.

In this context, courage differs from heroism, which arises as an internal resistance to fear and injustice. Heroism is a unipolar feeling related to the positive qualities of a person.

The fearlessness of a child

In early childhood, fear is unknown to the child.
He doesn't lack courage. Fear of heights and the desire to avoid pain will appear later, after gaining life experience. Over time, you will understand that you can fall from a high hill and hurt yourself, and you can get burned on a hot kettle. But until the age of 3, the baby is undaunted and courageous in exploring the world. At a more conscious age (7-10) years, the development of society occurs. The first psychological problems appear: fear of rejection, fear that you will not be able to take the desired place in the group. Let us note that parents skillfully influence their child by appealing to public opinion.

The most common phrases:

“Behave well, you see, everyone is looking at you!” Such appeals work well on small children up to 4-5 years old.
In early adolescence, the first threats and blackmail begin: “If you don’t study well (do what is prescribed), nothing will come of you, they will consider you stupid...”
At any age, boycotts, ignoring, and threats of rejection work without fail: “My son should not behave like this!”, “If you behave like this, get out of the way.”

There is no doubt that these techniques are effective and will help parents. Especially when you consider that the baby’s experience is extremely scarce. He is not yet able to distinguish real threats from empty rhetorical exclamations. If you abuse extreme educational means, you will destroy initiative and courage in mastering the world around you in the bud. The child will have a fear of making mistakes, of doing something wrong. Society will be perceived as unambiguously dangerous and hostile.

If you form such attitudes at an early age, you can forget about normal personality development. It is easy to confuse a sensitive, vulnerable child who has difficulty establishing contacts with peers. For a weakened psyche, even everyday actions will become a feat. Introverts have less need for social interaction, but even for them, such a parenting strategy is disastrous.

They speak their minds out loud

Brave people are quite confident in expressing their opinion, even if it goes against the generally accepted. Voicing your opinion does not mean arguing, but recognizing that their opinion matters too.

Courageous people know that they cannot simply agree to everything, especially if they are against an idea.

Teenage recklessness

Adolescence is a time of complete moral insanity. If a child is actively studying the material world around him, then the boy (or girl) is testing the laws of human interaction. On the one hand, they are influenced by parents, teachers, mentors - the world of adults. On the other hand, the opinion of peers is more significant and valuable.

Hence the extremely “brave” actions of teenagers, which make the hair on adults’ heads stand up:

various manifestations of senseless cruelty (bullying of peers, aggression towards the weak);
the desire to get away from routine, everyday life (creation of subcultural communities, use of illegal substances);
craving for unsafe experiments with one’s own appearance (tattoos, scarring, piercings).

Of course, extreme displays of young courage are not common. But the desire for rebellion, an attempt to challenge the norm, is the main characteristic of adolescence.

They accept defeat

Brave people are convinced that defeats and mistakes are points of growth. Failure is a great opportunity for growth and without failure you cannot learn from your mistakes.

If you are a courageous person, you learn to accept failures and use them as stepping stones towards improvement.

The Conscious Courage of Maturity

Over time, the storms subside, and life returns to normal. The mature time is coming. It doesn't seem like a good time to be bold.

In adulthood, thoughtless fearlessness can do a lot of harm. Demonstratively defiant behavior and unjustified risk are perceived as a dangerous deviation from the norm. For example, if you regularly get involved in fights over trifles, and violate your rights for minor reasons, then you will be recognized as a brawler and a hooligan, and not as a brave fighter. For such subjects, a blow is the last argument in a dispute; they use it too often.

Of course, if the desire for risk is in your blood, then it is reasonable to connect your life with an extreme profession. Let's list these dangerous but noble specialties:

rescuer;
pilot of an aircraft or watercraft;
policeman, intelligence officer, military;
resuscitator;
auto and motorcycle racer.

This is how you realize your own need for constant internal mobilization and quick response to professional challenges.

In any situation there is an opportunity to show courage and courage. Often what is required of us is not physical fearlessness (overcoming pain, the instinct of self-preservation), but spiritual courage. It is difficult to defend your opinion in a hostile environment, where it is much easier to get into the general rut and not stand out once again. In order to resist an aggressive society, true mental maturity and determination are required.

Let us remember the dissidents of Soviet times. Open disagreement with the existing order of things meant career ruin, persecution, and imprisonment. Despite this, they publicly declared their convictions and became involved in active struggle, risking literally everything. Let’s give a short quote: “I walked around in an old soldier’s overcoat, in huge sneakers, just like that. It’s clear that I was calling people out with this look: I was just walking down the street and everyone hated me for walking like that. And I was going to work, and I worked as a janitor...” This is not an annoying teenage demonstration. This is a balanced position of an adult who understands and accepts the consequences of the decision made. There is always a second way: remain silent, mimic, agree. And it is very tempting to take this route.

They can ask for help

Brave people are not afraid to ask for help. Many people believe that brave people should not need the support of others. While independence is an admirable trait, asking for help does not make them any less brave.

In fact, when you decide to ask for help, it says a lot about your character.

Courage is the way to overcome psychological problems

The modern urban environment is relatively safe: a city dweller will not be attacked by a wild tiger. And in the event of an emergency, special services will certainly come to the rescue. Where do the manias and phobias that plague the existence of our contemporaries come from?

Most fears are related to social interactions. The biggest threat to a conscious individual, just like several centuries ago, is to remain outside the group, the microcollective. The fear of rejection is lovingly cultivated by parents in childhood (“If you behave this way, no one will play with you!”) or something similar, not so straightforward. At the same time, self-doubt and low self-esteem are programmed. Of course, any socially significant action after this becomes a problem, an insoluble task.

Toxic parental attitudes successfully poison life and prevent one from fully realizing oneself in the professional sphere and in the family. But eternal complaints and accusations will not improve your mental health. It is necessary to make a strong-willed effort and recognize the problem. This requires courage. Not everyone can look their horror straight in the eye. But the game is worth the candle: after this, another life will begin, more eventful, full of healthy emotions.

Overcoming pathological phobias is impossible without reasonable courage and a conscious exit from the comfort zone. Conquering fear is the most important achievement for an individual. The ability to take reckless risks, on the contrary, destroys the individual and jeopardizes the safety of society. If a person spends his whole life in pursuit of thrills and adrenaline, he is easily confused and drawn into illegal adventures.

In other words, act smart. Don't be led by ancient instincts. Do not allow yourself to be drawn into destructive competition for the right to be called the most reckless and fearless.

Self-cultivation of courage

The fear of winning is not easy. To become a brave person, you need to work on yourself, engage in self-education. Pills won't help here. You may hear that there are special medicines, but this is a myth. No pills will create internal balance, will not raise the strength of spirit, but will only dull the excitement for a while or have an inhibitory effect. You can be sure: only thanks to the positive example of a loved one, constant training of will, and work on negative complexes, weak-hearted people became courageous.

There are many simple techniques you can use to learn how to become decisive. You can use the following tips:

One of the ways to become brave and courageous is to set yourself up properly. 90% of successful results depend on the correct psychological attitude.
The second way to gain courage is to not be afraid to lose. It can be painful and offensive, but failures are a source of experience. You need to take advantage of every defeat.
Always be honest, try to tell the truth face to face, overcome complexes and conventions. This is the third way to become bolder and more confident.

Often a person is afraid not of fear itself, but of its consequences: darkness - because the unknown lurks there, heights - because you can fall. Once you realize this, you can understand how to cultivate courage in yourself. You never need to imitate anyone - and you will be more confident in yourself. Do as your heart tells you.

Courage is a state of mind; it cannot be cultivated without persistence. Persistence and will will turn a coward into a daredevil. Always be strong in spirit! His presence will help overcome all difficulties. If you decide to raise a strong personality, you need to tell your child more often about courage.

Historical examples of courage

There are many documented manifestations of masculinity and resilience. These facts are most vividly described in military chronicles about the feats of the defenders of fortresses, cities and entire countries. But there are also peaceful manifestations of courage, no less significant for humanity than victory in a military conflict.

Alan Turing, British mathematician who had a significant influence on the development of computer science and cryptanalysis. He was not afraid to put hundreds of sailors in danger to solve the code of the German Enigma encryption machine. Subsequently, the electronic-mechanical machine Turing Bombe, created by Alan’s team, made it possible to decipher the correspondence of Nazi German soldiers.
Ray Kroc, an American businessman who believed in the promise of fast food restaurants. Being on the verge of bankruptcy, one might say with his last money, he bought an innovative project from the McDonald brothers to open a fast food cafe. Everyone knows perfectly well what came out of this: McDonald’s is the largest restaurant chain with multi-billion dollar revenues.
After the storming of the Izmail fortress, the great Russian commander A.V. Suvorov said: “The city takes courage!” But sometimes it is more useful to bypass an obstacle than to bang your head into a monolithic wall. Let us recall, for example, the feat of Prince Vladimir the Baptist (Red Sun), who united Rus' with a common faith. He, being an ardent pagan, performed a great historical action: he was baptized! Thanks to him, Orthodoxy was born in Rus'.

There are hundreds and even thousands of such examples. Remember the lessons of our ancestors. Do good and righteous deeds, and then success is guaranteed to you. Good luck!

They are not satisfied with less

Courage is knowing that you deserve much more than you think and refusing to settle for less than you deserve.

Whether it's relationships, career, or personal growth, brave people know that settling for less is not the best path. On the contrary, they live the life they choose for themselves.

They know what they want

Courageous people know exactly what they want from life, and nothing can stop them from achieving it. They do not suffer from indecision regarding their life goals, and they do not have the opportunity to simply go with the flow like everyone else.

If you are a courageous person, you know the life you want for yourself, regardless of whether everyone else approves of that decision.