What comes to mind when you hear the word courage? Many people conjure up images of a brave soldier advancing under enemy fire to rescue a wounded comrade, while others visualize a firefighter rushing into a burning building to retrieve an elderly woman. Although these certainly fall into the category of courageous acts, they cause many people to have misconceptions about the true definition of courage, leading them to associate it only with heroic deeds. They believe, that to have courage, a person cannot possess any fear. However, some of the most courageous people in history fell victim to fear, and they continued to perform brave acts. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, when forced to choose between the Nazi ideology or hold fast to his beliefs, …show more content…
Although facing a fear alone seems disconcerting and undesirable, surrounding yourself with supportive friends can distract you from your circumstances, decreasing your overall sense of anxiety. Many people also try to rationalize their fears, but when this doesn’t work, deceiving yourself about the current state of affairs, while seemingly counterintuitive, can help. For example, a former German paratrooper, when faced with overwhelming opposition, convinced himself that the enemy had fewer men, which decreased his fear and increased his resolve to fight. Although it might appear too straightforward, the key to acting in spite of fear is becoming familiar with taking action. To implement this into your daily life, constantly place yourself in uncomfortable situations. Exposing yourself to even minor inconveniences, like taking a cold shower or speaking to strangers, can improve your resiliency and inspire you to take action. It doesn’t take much, but over an extended period of time, practices like these will drastically increase your capacity for action, even when