Courage

Yuki [勇氣]

The characters/ideograms mean "brave; courage; heroic." The first character means, "courage; cheer up; be in hight spirits; bravery; heroism," the second character means, "spirit; mind; air; atmosphere; mood." 

One of the seven virtues of the bushido code. Courage is something that permeates all social tribal groups. It is necessary for survival. It is often, in the west, described as an ability to do something that caused fear. It is considered a strength of moral character when one has to face fear, pain or grief (danger, uncertainty, intimidation, hardship, death, etc.). 

It is that ability that allows a human to act rightly in the face of opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement. It is doing the right thing, regardless. It is an intestinal fortitude that allows one to act against all odds, against instincts, and against common oppositions. 

Courage is a complex trait that is perceived differently by each individual and group regardless of the accepted definitions already provided. How one perceives courage and what it takes to have courage is difficult. No where does courage become evident then in the professions of the military and civil disciplines, i.e. police, corrections, fire, medical, etc.

Courage is used indiscriminately to mean many things but is not often perceived as it is meant to be. Courage is one thing that is misconceived by television, movies and other publications such as books and magazines.  What may seem like courage may not be while what may be seen as cowardice is actually courage. 

The use of courage can often move one into conflict when it is attached to misconceptions and misinformation along side both ego and pride as perceived by the group or tribe. Discerning true courage over other concepts is difficult at the best of times. 

Many sound bits are attributed to the concept and trait of courage but few actually understand it enough to see, feel or act with courage. Misconceptions often lead to bad actions. 

It is imperative, especially those who desire to work in such professions, to know and understand courage and to foster it as a part of training and practice. Fear is a tool that is best used to foster courage so actions of an appropriate nature can be trained and applied in any given situation. Fear does not come from courage or a lack thereof but rather the fortitude to train and practice to use fear as a fuel for courage in doing the right things. 

"For I fancy that I do know the nature of courage; but, somehow or other, she has slipped away from me, and I cannot get hold of her and tell her nature." - Plato

"It is hard to be brave. It is hard to know what bravery is." - Tim O'Brien, If I Die in a Combat Zone

"The man's try must be wholehearted by some objective standard, not that kind of 'nice try' that can barely be uttered without contempt unless to encourage a child." - William Ian Miller, The Mystery of Courage

I think that courage is a very individual thing that must be defined by that individual and that individual alone. The obfuscation of definition warrants such a view for one cannot allow others to push their interpretations upon them. Courage is not some simple thing that can be labeled, although I try, and passed around to all human beings. It must be that something that supports not only the individual but the tribe to which that individual belongs as a part of the survival of human beings. 

The level of severity to that which I define dictates courage to me. To assume some simple action of every day life denotes courage is to lessen courage as a whole. The one thing courage dictates is some action that overcomes an adversity mostly within the mind and body of the individual. It is to overcome for the betterment of the individual and to overcome adversity for the good of the whole. The degree is fluid and to the moment. It changes as do the tides of the ocean and the phases of the moon as well as the changes of seasons. 

Courage is not just one thing. There is a courage for offensive actions while another for defensive. The many things that take courage require different types of courage so to be just as complex and convoluted as the system of self-defense and violence of which there are many publications and teachings. What we require to face an enemy in combat vs. facing an adversary in a civil police scenario; from storing a castle to fighting a fire; from security at a pub to security of a position in war. Many, many facets that are courage and still an individual thing.

"Courage is a gray virtue, equally serviceable for both good and bad causes." - William Ian Miller, The Mystery of Courage

It might be said that courage for the individual shall be the capability to recognize your courage and have confidence in its summon-ability. If you don't know what it is for you and you cannot recognize it so it can be summoned in the worst of times then how can one summon the courage to act accordingly? 

Bibliography:

Miller, William Ian. "The Mystery of Courage." Harvard University Press. Cambridge. 2002.