Defining Courage
Brandon Fowler
English 102 Section
16 January 2013
Defining Courage
Defining Courage
What is the first thing that pops up in your mind when you hear the word courage? Is it a person saving someone from a burning building, someone confronting their enemies, voicing out their opinions, or nothing at all? For me, I think courage means showing bravery in time of danger, difficulty, or pain. It is a characteristic that many people admire in a person. People like to shed light on acts of courage. For example, a firefighter runs into a burning building to save someone’s life and the local news decides to do a story on it. I believe that courage can be split into two types, physical courage and moral courage. Physical courage is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, or the possibility of death. Moral courage is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame or discouragement. For many people, risking or sacrificing one’s life for others is the highest example of courage. However, many of us experience courage in everyday life without even realizing it. Certain actions made by ordinary people in ordinary situations can be courageous. Courage can be taking care of a handicapped person, moving on with life after the death of a loved one, or even working hard to pay your monthly bills. I’m glad our society recognizes acts of courage because courage is something that takes bravery and strength to possess. Courage isn’t something that you can buy or get from someone else. That’s why we should show appreciation for those who do courageous things. So whether it is helping save someone’s life, or fighting for something good, we should all practice it.
English 102 Section
16 January 2013
Defining Courage
Defining Courage
What is the first thing that pops up in your mind when you hear the word courage? Is it a person saving someone from a burning building, someone confronting their enemies, voicing out their opinions, or nothing at all? For me, I think courage means showing bravery in time of danger, difficulty, or pain. It is a characteristic that many people admire in a person. People like to shed light on acts of courage. For example, a firefighter runs into a burning building to save someone’s life and the local news decides to do a story on it. I believe that courage can be split into two types, physical courage and moral courage. Physical courage is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, or the possibility of death. Moral courage is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame or discouragement. For many people, risking or sacrificing one’s life for others is the highest example of courage. However, many of us experience courage in everyday life without even realizing it. Certain actions made by ordinary people in ordinary situations can be courageous. Courage can be taking care of a handicapped person, moving on with life after the death of a loved one, or even working hard to pay your monthly bills. I’m glad our society recognizes acts of courage because courage is something that takes bravery and strength to possess. Courage isn’t something that you can buy or get from someone else. That’s why we should show appreciation for those who do courageous things. So whether it is helping save someone’s life, or fighting for something good, we should all practice it.