Stoic Courage
“There comes a time in the affairs of man when he must take the bull by the tail and face the situation.“ — W. C. Fields
“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” — Seneca
In our current era of pandemics, political turmoil, wars and rumors of wars the stoic virtue of courage is as desperately needed as it is lacking. From our leaders to our neighbors, many have been weighed in the balance and found wanting during these times. Fear and loathing having assumed courage’s throne.
“Courage is knowledge of what to fear and what not to fear.” — Marcus Aurelius
One of the pillars of stoic philosophy is that we suffer more in our imaginations than in reality. With our non-stop real-time newsfeeds that seem uncannily dedicated to stoking fear and strife in our imaginations, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain a courageous outlook of ourselves, others and the world at large. But these are also precisely the times in which stoic courage is desirable and necessary. In fact, it is only during trying times that courage can be honed and tempered. You develop courage during difficult times, not on a nice vacation.
“I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain…I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness.” — Iron and the Soul by Henry Rollins
The Stoics subdivide courage into the characteristics of endurance, confidence, high-mindedness, cheerfulness and industriousness. Here’s Plato’s stab at boxing the trifecta of what is stoic courage…
“The state of the soul which is unmoved by fear; military confidence; knowledge of the facts of warfare; self-restraint in the soul about what is fearful and terrible; boldness in obedience to wisdom; being intrepid in the face of death; the state which stands on guard over correct thinking in dangerous situations; force which counterbalances danger; force of fortitude in respect of virtue; calm in the soul about what correct thinking takes to be frightening or encouraging things; the preservation of fearless beliefs about the terrors and experiences of warfare; the state which cleaves to the law.”
Well stated but a bit too academic to be useful. Here’s a couple of contemporary takes on stoic courage that may prove more instructive.
“A Stoic is someone who transforms fear into prudence, pain into transformation, and desire into undertaking.” — Nassim Taleb
“Courage isn’t simply a matter of leading charges: Sometimes it consists in speaking up, sometimes in Stoic silence, sometimes in forging ahead, sometimes in circumspection, and sometimes in nothing less than preserving our humanity.” — Elizabeth Samet
I think Ms. Samet is onto something crucial. Courage isn’t so much in the body and physical acts, it first must be rooted in the mind and soul. For it is only after we think courageously that we can proceed to act courageously. And that action often does not take the form of leading a charge of warriors. It can be as simple as speaking up when others are silent in view of injustice. Going against the crowd, or in some cases mob, is one of the more courageous acts to be taken. The fear of other’s opinions, that we may be called foolish, stupid, or a bigot runs deep in all of us. And many evils have been committed when people have bitten their tongues for fear of the group’s rebuke.
This is also a time to be courageous about preserving our common humanity. With so many forces trying to separate us into warring factions based on race, politics, nationality or even things like wearing a mask it is imperative that we not lose sight of our shared human experience. The courage to be kind and empathetic appears to be in critically short supply. It takes courage to be cheerful in the face of adversity and bitterness. To put the proverbial flower into the barrel of the gun that’s pointed at you. To give a hug or a kind word. Even to share a good laugh when the going gets tough.
