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COURAGE – A WORTHY PURSUIT
Marian Baltazar
Class of 1980, University of the Philippines College of Manila'
AB Political Science
All individuals have their own way of life, own way of thinking, own way of dreaming, own way of perceiving
things in life, own way of making decisions, own way of dealing with life and a thousand and one ways of
achieving whatever you long for and what you want to pursue in your life. As we go along the journey of life
and single out what we really aspire to do while facing life’s intricacies, we grope our way to withstand the
pressures of the varied circumstances that surround us. We are definitely aiming to live a successful,
meaningful life and be good citizens of the society.
Practicing courage is a worthy pursuit and necessary to live a meaningful and fulfilling life and contributing to
the community where we belong. Therefore, honing on this virtue is very crucial. It takes a lifetime to live with
courage because it is a way of life. According to Napoleon Bonaparte, “Courage is like love, it must have hope
to nourish it.” It is contagious, but not all persons have it. We need to have courage to endure in our struggle
against the adversities of life. It is a fierce determination.
Courage takes many forms. Examples include the courage to do what is right, the courage to accept
unpopularity, the courage of facing a personal fear, the courage to endure physical or mental pain for the sake
of self-improvement, the courage to move forward through a frustration, the courage to tell the truth, to
change, to trust, to act, to love, to commit and many more. Mortimer Adler interprets Aristotle’s definition of
courage as a habitual disposition to take whatever pains may be involved in doing what we ought to do for the
sake of a good life. It simply means doing what we know we need to do however challenging or difficult and
whatever the cost may be. As the saying goes, “No pain, no gain. We have to stand up for what is right even
when we stand alone. We have got to do what is right despite disapproval or negative peer pressure.
We have to advance bravely and have courage to pursue our dreams no matter how arduous the road to its
realization is. Thus, we have to believe that it is a worthy pursuit to practice courage. If this will be developed, it
will allow us to be more in control of our life instead of letting the outside circumstances dictate our actions. An
individual should be persistent in the face of failure and so let us set our goals for us to achieve courage.
Regardless of your gender, as James Allen puts it, “Whether you are a man or woman, we can never do
anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.” Therefore, let
courage live in our hearts for it is a gift from God. In our quest to achieve what is important, let us have
courage, for without it, we go nowhere, accomplish little, lack meaning and regret much. After all, COURAGE IS
A WORTHY PURSUIT.
Question for discussion:
1.How can you practice courage amidst all the turmoil of life?
2.Can one face fear without having courage? Why is it so?
3.How can you say that courage is a worthy pursuit?
4.In your life, is having courage a hard choice for you? Justify your answer.
5.What do you think of when you hear the word courage?