Courage is the only true virtue

What do I mean by "true" virtue?

​

I mean that courage, as I have distinguished it, is the only choosable action (or sometimes non-action) that can be said to always be the choice most likely to maximize the benefits and possibilities, while reducing the costs and risks, both long-term and short-term for the person making that choice.

​

​

In what context?

​

Principles that are designed to guide human action, to be used most wisely and effectively, need to account for context or circumstances. Otherwise they are ill-defined and may often use us to our detriment rather than our benefit. This is the big problem with any principle that I know about (that we might classify as a virtue).

For example, consider the "virtues" honesty or kindness. I have never found anyone who can clearly and unambiguously what constitutes "honesty" or "kindness" so that a person trying to follow those principles would clearly know both how to follow those principles and in what circumstances they would apply for not apply in order to get the desired results.

​

​

The reach of courage

​

The principle of courage, however, since it is the source of any other "virtues," when clearly understood and implemented, can appropriately refine the distinction of all other "virtues" and put them in their proper context.

​

Sometimes moral philosophers will try to design principles around the idea that we would know what to in any possible circumstances by following that principle. That's like asking an engineer to design a motor that could operate at any temperature, any pressure, with and without gravity. Even it would be possible to design such a motor, it's a stupid approach. It would make sense instead to a design a motor that would serve the user in most all likely circumstances that they would need to use it in their life.

​

Nevertheless, in all my thinking and discussing with others about the principle of courage (see my book on Courage), I've yet to find any specific example where a moral choice might be needed that is likely to occur in anyone's life where choosing courage would not likely be the best choice for them.

​

And even though I would never claim that choosing courage would be the best possible choice any every conceivable possible circumstance, I could see how it could even work in the extremely improbable ethical dilemma called the "trolley problem," first introduced by British philosopher Philippa Foot in 1967. Check it out on Google if you're interested.

Also, you might check out "The Good Place," an American fantasy-comedy television series starring Ted Danson and Kristen Bell. The show is known for its unique premise, clever writing, and exploration of ethical and philosophical themes.

​

​

All other virtues are sourced from the virtue of courage

Every other virtue, when clearly defined, grounded and contextualized, can be reduced to the virtue of courage.

Special note: the word “virtue” in this essay is not intended to have any good/bad or right/wrong connotations. I am using the word virtue to denote an assessment, not a judgment. I use it simply to denote those principles of chosen behaviors which, when practiced with some consistency, will typically give us a life we love and avoid one that we don't.

Here are some character traits and prescriptions which are often and sometimes considered virtuous:

​

• charitable

• compassionate

• courageous

• curious

• dutiful

• empathetic

• fair

• having faith

• faithful

• forgiving

• fortitude

• friendly

• frugality

• generosity

• gentleness

• hope

• honesty

• humility

• innocence

• integrity

• justice

• kindness

• law-abiding

• loving

• loyal

• openness

• passionate

• patience

• perseverance

• prudence

• reliability

• respectfulness

• responsibility

• self-denial

• self-discipline

• self-expressive

• spontaneity

• trusting

• unselfishness

• will power

• work ethic.

It is far beyond the scope of this essay to show how all these virtues (when well-defined and contextualized) are everyone an expression of choosing courage. That is the larger purpose of my book and this site as a whole.

​

​

Step by step

Courage is the source of all virtue. And when we can, step by step, begin to discern and uncover that courage as the source, then, not only does it make choosing virtue much easier, it also begins to dissolve the seeming conflicts among the various virtues as they are practiced around the world.

​

Courage reaches into Now-Next issues

But there is a class of virtues that have taken me a while to discover which, at their source, also entail the choice of courage. This class of virtues includes perseverance, fortitude, will power, self-discipline, and self-denial.

When, indeed, these virtues have been rigorously defined and contextualized, then, they too can be reduced to the choice of courage. At first blush, it seemed that the exercise of these virtues does not involve facing any fear. It seemed that they only involved facing pain and discomfort. Yet it is our resistance to pain and discomfort that constitutes our fear of them.

One of my agreements with myself is to climb the seven flights of stair to my apartment in Shanghai every time I return from outside (this essay is being sourced from my book on Courage which I wrote when I was living in Shanghai).

Often, “I didn’t feel like it,” but I did it anyway, using perseverance, fortitude, will power, self-discipline, and self-denial. However, approaching it this way, even though I did it, it continued to feel like a difficult task.

More recently, however, I started experimenting with taking very deep breaths and saying,

“Holy moly and jeepers weepers, I'm so scared of the discomfort I'm going to feel!” as I began to climb the stairs. I noticed immediately how much easier it was to climb the stairs and how much easier it was to honor myself for the courage I was choosing in climbing those stairs.

Little by little, I am becoming aware of the fear which I had so adeptly hidden from myself, the fear that I have been resisting all my life.

I am so excited about applying the principles of courage to this new and important domain of my life.

Try this experiment. Choose some important action  that normally requires perseverance, fortitude, will power, self-discipline, and/or self-denial. Then, just before stepping into that action (or non-action, as the case may be, as in not smoking), take several deep breaths, breathe into your fear (whether you can feel it or not) and speak/shout many times, “Holy moly and jeepers weepers, I'm so scared this is going to be uncomfortable!” Also, take a moment to get in touch with that five-year-old within and honor him or her for the courage that he or she is choosing.

​

Do this until you can feel that he or she gets your admiration.

Notice how this makes things much easier!

Enjoy!