What is courage? This question is primarily of concern to boys, since it is a cornerstone in the problem of their self-identification. A man must be brave - this is the first quality that first comes to mind when we think about the strong half of humanity. In our article we will try to answer the question of what courage is.
Definition - that's where you need to start, first of all.
Definition of Courage
Courage in the general view can be defined as the ability to be. Imagine educating a person. It is invested with specific moral imperatives (ideas about what should be), according to which it is worth living. Then he finds himself in an environment where his ideas enter into a decisive and irreconcilable contradiction with the general way of life. So, to live according to personal rules and norms, you need courage. This is what "ability to be" means. That's what courage is.
Military prowess and courage
Now let's turn to more obvious things. When a person, being in the face of danger, does not give in to it, but fearlessly goes towards trouble - this is courage. The most impressive image of courage that Hollywood has given us over the past 20 years must be recognized as the proud Scotsman William Wallace and the film "The Brave Heart" (1995). Even harsh men cry about his fate if they watch this picture for the first time.
Is the brave afraid?
Certainly! But in the mass consciousness there is a myth that the brave is the one who is not in awe of danger. This, of course, is not true. A brave person does not pay attention to their feelings and emotions. In the above-mentioned film, Mel Gibson played in such a way that it is clear that his hero is afraid. It is difficult to say what exactly, but nothing human is alien to him. Hollywood Wallace overcomes himself every time and does not think about fear, because all this has already gone too far.
And on the battlefield there is no time to be afraid, you need to fight the British, save Scotland. The film is actually about how personal and highly specialized revenge and bitterness are transformed into a national and universal cause of rebellion against tyranny and lawlessness. And there is no place for fears and doubts. Thus, we have another answer to the question, what is courage.
George McFly
With warriors, firefighters and rescuers, everything is more or less clear. They have to take risks on duty. What about us ordinary people? Is there a place for achievement in our life? To answer these questions and clearly distinguish between the concepts of "courage" and "courage", it is necessary to turn to another visual material of the "Dream Factory", namely the film trilogy "Back to the Future" (film one).
The main character, Marty McFly, has a father - George McFly. Crispin Glover plays the role of a rogue at the very beginning of the film. George is such a typical American loser. On the one hand, he is an excellent student at school, smart, reads books, even writes science fiction stories (this is found out later). One problem: he lacks the courage to fight back against bullies at school. Then these same bad guys become his colleagues at work and continue to ride it, speaking Russian: he writes reports for them, etc.
The son, Marty, sees all this, but does not know how to help his father. And then Doc Emmett Brown invents a time machine. Marty does not want to use his friend's find for personal purposes, but it turns out that his father still gains courage and answers the hooligans - "knocks out Biff with one blow."
And his life changes dramatically. 30 years later, when Marty returns to his present from his parental past, George is a famous science fiction writer, not a hard-to-see office employee.
Of course, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale's masterpiece is full of exaggerations, but on the whole, the film shows how important role decisive action can play in a person's life.
And yes, we promised to tell you what the difference is between bravery and boldness. There is no fundamental specificity here, as it seems, this is a matter of taste, terminology and context. The word "courage" is usually used when it comes to military or, if I may say so, military exploits.
Otherwise, we hope that our article was useful to the reader, and he was able to answer the question for himself, what is courage. If so, then we can consider that our task is completed.
Everyone knows that being a coward is a shame, and playing hockey is not supposed to be like that.
But the owners of a brave heart have always been and will be honored. But what is courage in its essence, and how to make sure that it is present in you?
Courage - what is it?
Courage, courage, courage, fearlessness - these are the qualities of a real hero from any literature. But is only a soldier or a great warrior supposed to be a daredevil?
This quality will be useful to everyone in life: both the child, if you have to visit the dentist, and the woman heading to the maternity ward.
Courage is the ability to overcome your fear, cope with complexes and doubts, and fulfill your duty..
This is the ability to do what is necessary and must, without fear and unnecessary thoughts about the negative consequences.
In addition, this quality allows people to express their opinions, not be ashamed of their beliefs and, if necessary, go against everyone in order to achieve justice. 
Is it possible to recognize a brave person by his appearance? We immediately imagine a stately handsome man with straightened shoulders, confidently looking into the future.
A kind of hero-avenger from the comics "Marvel". He feels the strength to fight injustice, and in a fluttering cloak rushes to the next criminal.
An elegant, attractive image, but has little to do with reality.
A true daredevil can be a quiet, calm, outwardly not outstanding person.. Imagine an ordinary accountant who accidentally learns about cases of theft in his company.
A coward will leave everything as it is, and one who has an inner core will not be afraid to go against the system.
He will openly act as a witness, collect evidence of the theft, present it to the court for further proceedings and help achieve a fair punishment.
Courage may be quiet and inconspicuous, but thanks to the brave hearts of ordinary people, the world becomes a better place.
What a brave man
A reasonable, rational, mentally healthy individual cannot be truly fearless.
After all, avoidance of danger is the basic protective instinct of the human race. Thanks to him, people managed to survive cataclysms and natural selection.
So courage cannot be called a full-fledged antonym to fear. On the contrary, they are not so far apart. A daredevil differs from a coward only in that he has taken control of his fears and does not follow their lead.
In a critical situation, the first becomes stronger than his fear, showing self-control, composure and prudence.
So, a brave person may have fears, however, he knows how to control them and does not allow them to lead him.
From this internal struggle, he emerges victorious, confidently resisting any fears.
He does not lose his temper in a stressful situation, does not give in to panic, restrains cowardly impulses (run away, quit, be the first to escape).
The daredevil is not without a sense of self-preservation, but he knows how to suppress instinctive reactions aimed at self-defense.
This is the main thing the difference between a daredevil and a brave man: the first is aware of all the dangers, thinks soberly and does not revel in his own fearlessness.
He openly confronts his fear, overcoming the pain of doubt, but at the same time he himself does not gravitate towards reckless risk and demonstration of heroism.
A brave person is guided, first of all, by the promptings of conscience. He has a built-in sense of what is fair and right, and he understands what he is fighting for.
modern boldness 
Courage is also needed in relationships. Both with your spouse and with yourself.
It can be difficult for a man to decide on a second or even first marriage (I remember scenes with the division of property and high-profile divorces).
And a woman, out of fear of loneliness, on the contrary, is afraid to break the connection with an unworthy citizen.
AT modern world it takes courage even to start a family, mindful of the 50% divorce rate.
I remember famous quote from the tape "The Same Munchausen": let's not say that this is a feat, but there is something heroic in all this.
Therefore, when we talk about modern daredevils, we do not demand from them daily large-scale deeds. They do not have to conquer Everest, fight for their homeland and go on a humanitarian mission to Syria.
After all, even in order to remain true to their convictions, remarkable heroism is needed.
And self-confidence to go ahead and do what you want and see fit, despite fear or not seeing fear. Courage does not always mean the absence of fear. A brave man is not one who is not afraid, much less a brave man who "enjoys the battle of life"; the brave is the one who knows how to be stronger than his fear.
Courage and body are connected. A timid person can be recognized by the way he looks, how he walks unsteadily, how he uses his hands (more precisely, he does not use them), and how he stands crookedly. Courage is incompatible with neurotic stoop (clamps in the collar zone), when the head seems to be driven into the shoulders, as if hiding from another cuff. Courage is usually triggered by the eyes looking forward openly and directly (rather than introverted into oneself), by the wide back muscles moving the chest forward. See more →
Courage training
The brave is the one who knows how to be stronger than fear. Practice courage! Cultivate courage! See →
Courage can also come from fear, but more often it is fear that prevents courage. How to remove or overcome fear? See Dealing with Fear
Courage and the Cattell test
In the Cattell test, courage is enterprise, activity; a person has emotional, willingness to take risks and cooperate with strangers in unfamiliar circumstances, the ability to accept
Sometimes fear is equated with cowardice, but it is not. It appears independently of the will of a person and becomes a barrier that must be overcome (taken under control) by doing bold deeds. The ability to manage your fear is important for every person, and not just firefighters, doctors and those whose professions are directly related to the manifestation of courage and self-control.
Courage and fearlessness
In the generally accepted understanding, courage is associated with such characteristics as fearlessness, courage, heroism, valor and bravery. Psychologists define courage as the ability to act quickly (both for life and health) to achieve a goal.
Courage is a sign of good character that makes people worthy of respect. The enemy of courage is the fear of failure, loneliness, humiliation, success, public speaking. And in order to keep your psychological state in balance, you must be able to resist fear.
The Soviet psychologist, Platonov K.K., singled out 3 forms of fearlessness: courage, courage and bravery. achieves a result in any situation, consciously imagining all its danger. It happens differently with brave people: they enjoy danger and emotional experiences. As for a brave person, then, according to the definition of a Soviet psychologist, for such a person a sense of duty is higher than fear.
Fearlessness and courage are the antipodes of fear, which must be cultivated in oneself in order to achieve success and victory. Moreover, fearlessness should be understood as the ability to control behavior when a feeling of fear is felt.
Courage training
The body of a person reflects his inner experiences. The image of a timid person looks confused: an uncertain gait, lack of gesticulation when talking, stoop and downcast eyes. Therefore, it is necessary to train oneself to overcome fear not only to achieve goals, but also to form a beautiful body.
Training begins with overcoming small fears. There is a fear Then start by oratory in front of friends. When it becomes easy, gather a larger group, for example, about 20 people, and perform in front of them until you get used to not being afraid.
If there is a panic when communicating and meeting girls, start talking with grandmothers or try smiling at the person you like on the street.
The first workout for young students can be that will help the young person to cope with the first worries. Here are just a few examples: "Whoever goes forward, fear does not take him"; "Who dares, he is whole"; "The courage of the city takes" and others.
Formula of fearlessness
Courage is the ability to act in defiance of fear, to overcome which you must have certain qualities:
- Self-control is the ability to suppress exciting emotions and act reasonably.
- Focus and calculation. These qualities help to find the optimal resolution in a situation and to notice all the subtleties of the circumstances.
- Mobilization of forces - the concentration of internal reserves, followed by a flash of energy aimed at fighting, courage, courage .
- Confidence is the ability not to panic and realize that everything in this world can be solved, all obstacles can be overcome and there is nothing to be afraid of.
Courage without fear is madness
Fear in assessing unsafe situations is inherent in all sane people. This is defensive reaction organism, arising in a dangerous state of affairs and generating an emotional outburst that sends impulses to the brain about the need to avoid the threat. Fear paralyzes the will, making us defenseless and unable to resist.
There are no fearless people. Recall at least the film comedy "Striped Flight", when the character, refusing to enter the cage to predators - tigers, said: "I'm not a coward, but I'm afraid."
A brave person is still not fearless, but taking risks, knowing in advance the danger of the situation. But the ability to overcome the feeling of fear and fear is considered courage.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to control emotions, control oneself, one's actions, actions when feeling anxious.
Courage is something that people often lack in life. Of course, it is worth fighting with your fears, you need to become more resolute and more serious in your intentions. You can start with a theory, that is, consider the meaning of the word "courage", its synonyms, antonym and examples.
Concept definition
The brave is called the one who is not afraid of danger and laughs in her face or pretends to be. The following remark has become commonplace: the brave is not the one who does not experience fear, but the one who acts in spite of it. There are no people who are not afraid. Rather, scientists have found only one such woman, she physiologically cannot experience feelings of fear. In fact, this is not only impressive, but also disturbing. In fact, this woman is deprived of a sense of self-preservation. However, Western culture celebrates the brave and condemns the coward.
Spectrum of values
Now that there is clarity, we can give a list of values. And since the noun is organically related to the adjective, you will have to refer to it.
- Courageous is a quality that allows a person to ignore obstacles and dangers on the way to a goal.
- A characteristic of a certain action that reveals determination and fearlessness in relation to something. For example, a bold act, a bold statement.
- Bold is also called that which goes beyond the generally accepted both in the intellectual sphere and in the moral sphere. For example, a risky financial project that requires a lot of expenses is a bold one. And women's dress, which challenges high society or a certain circle of people, is also bold. Although the courage here is different.
Let the reader, who expected to see the analysis of a noun, not be indignant at the fact that an adjective is slipped to him. The role of the adjective is to show the versatility of the concept of "courage", this is why we need it here. From meanings we pass to synonyms.
"Courage" substitutions
The reader, of course, would have coped with this trivial task himself, but it is not always possible to remember all the synonyms of a particular word. So here is a list of them:
- courage;
- bravery;
- courage;
- valor.
As you can see, there are not so many options. One has only to say that "courage" and "valor" are, rather, "military" synonyms for the concept of "courage", and "courage" and "bravery" are "civilian". We do not pretend to be the ultimate truth, but offer only an interpretation. Below, when we analyze separately “courage” and “courage”, it will become clear what is hidden under the bizarre classification of “military” and “civilian” words.
The difference between bravery and courage
Perhaps this is the most difficult section to understand, although everything is quite simple. Courage is something that is present in a person all the time, a personality trait, if you will. For example, you can tell about almost anyone whether he is brave or not. We need courage to put in place rude schoolchildren or neighbors in order to express our opinion at work.
The time of courage comes when a person acts in extreme circumstances for himself, possibly life-threatening. Therefore, it was said a little higher about the division into “civilian” and “military” replacements for the concept of “courage” (synonyms are discussed in the previous section).
We hope it is also clear that wartime in this context should not be understood directly. War can break out in the midst of peaceful life. fighting- this, unfortunately, is not the lot of only professional soldiers. There are also figurative meanings of words in the language.
Courage is a broader and, so to speak, calm concept, and courage implies a greater intensity of experience. Courage and courage are organically linked: without the first there is no second.
"Cowardice" as an eternal linguistic companion of "courage"
Of course, in a psychological sense, cowardice and courage rarely coexist in one person, but in language such a neighborhood is not only possible, but also necessary. Language is a tool by which a person cognizes reality. For a better understanding of a phenomenon, people need a contrast, an alternative point of view. Generously drawing from the reserves of Russian literature, for example, referring to Woland and slightly twisting his words that cowardice is a shadow of courage and courage. The one who could not overcome his fear became a coward, and if he won the fight, he would be called a brave man. Fighting fear is always a challenge.
Examples of courage and courage from the cinema
Fear is a necessary prerequisite for courage and bravery. People who understand are admired in a feat not so much by the fact that the hero is not afraid of dangers, but by the fact that he overcomes his complexes and goes forward.
First, let's take an example by contradiction. There is one hero in cinema who cannot be recognized as brave, even despite the exploits. Let the reader not rack his brains, we are, of course, talking about the terminator from movie of the same name, about that part of it where the title contains the phrase "judgment day". The Terminator cannot be recognized as a hero, because he does not experience fear, he has nothing to overcome.
And another cinematic example is George McFly from the movie Back to the Future. Here, on the contrary, it makes sense to talk not only about courage, but about real courage. It's about about the moment George knocked Biff out. Because until that time, the botanist had never answered the bully, not only in deed, but also in word, never contradicted.
The word "courage" is multifaceted in meaning, we hope its analysis did not turn out to be too boring.