Courage Essay, Research Paper

Courage: What does this word really mean? Courage is a very special word requiring a personal definition created by personal experiences and feelings. Some say that courage is simply the ability to act effectively in the face of danger, fear, or difficulty. But is that all courage really is? The deep meaning of courage is that a person can look straight at danger or hardship and not be turned aside by it from doing what he thinks is right. A valiant person takes chances for an important cause. Courage is sometimes confused with an absence of fear. But there can be no such thing as courage without fear. A brave person faces adversity with self-possession, confidence and resolution. Courage is God-given characteristic granted to all mankind. However in some people, it never seems to emerge to the surface, but is buried in the depths of their souls. But within the heroes, heroins, and leaders of our time, there lies and audacity which is fully brought forth with confidence and steadfastness. These great leaders hold a special kind of gallantry, courage of their convictions. Strong men and women act as they believe they should, consistent with their opinions. Courage appears in nearly every stage of life, beginning when a young baby takes his first step. From that point on, courage is the binding force which enables him to stand on his own two feet. It takes courage to accomplish or even attempt to accomplish many things in life. A student needs courage to simply ask a question. It takes courage to confront the many problems in life and to stand up for your own convictions in face of opposition. It takes courage to just say no to drugs and alcohol when they are all around you. Courage is needed to follow the rules of life and to live by a good set of moral standards. It takes courage to accept and fulfill responsibilities which become more and more numerous as life continues. Heroes and heroins possess the ultimate valor, the characteristic of facing or risking death for an important cause or for another person. But courage is a very personal trait because one person may believe that a certain task requires courage whereas someone else may not.

Courage never dies within a person who realizes that he has it and wants to use it. Once courage is acquired, it will endure forever in the heart and mind or it possessor. As W.E. Henley stated in his poem Invictus : “In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed”