what is courage

Courage is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear. It is the ability to do something difficult even when theres risk. Courageous people do and say what they think is right despite opposition. According to the Swiss psychologist Andreas Dick, courage consists of the following components: putting oneself at risk, having knowledge of wisdom and prudence about what is right and wrong in a given moment, hope and confidence in a happy, meaningful outcome, a free will, and a motive based on love. Psychologist S. J. Rachman suggests that courage involves persistence in danger or hardship, and that it is the resilience to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. Courage can be developed by encouraging individuals to take calculated risks, supporting their individuality, and allowing them to "fail" safely -- online and off.