COURAGE:
ACTION, OR JUST WORDS?
L
Adrian Morgan
ike many words, courage has
become over used, with little
connection to its meaning. People
talking of courageous decisions in
politics. People making courageous
stands against racism with social media
campaigns such as #illridewithyou.
Courage is the thing that allows,
or maybe forces us, to take actions,
to protect those who cannot protect
others. Courage is something that puts
you in danger. It inspires fear in you, or
potentially intimidation.
I’m calling bullshit on all these.
Courage isn’t demonstrated on the
football field. It is demonstrated
It is action, not words of support.
Courageously supporting gay marriage. Courage is the person standing up to
Having what is termed the courage to
domestic violence in the street, not the
support gay people in AFL/NRL/insert person signing the white ribbon oath.
sport here.
COURAGE IS STANDING UP TO DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE IN THE STREET.
Courage isn’t demonstrated on the football field. It is demonstrated when
the only other way out would be cowardice. It is action, not words.
To support these things today is no
more courageous than putting full
cream milk on your muesli.
Aristotle said courage was thethe
first of all the attributes, as it was the
quality which guarantees all the others.
Courage is the attribute that allows us
to take action. He said it was only seen
in truth by soldiers on the battle field,
and everyone else was just trying to
mimic their heroic efforts.
40
GLOSS JUNE 2015
when the only other way out would be
cowardice.
So the next time you hear the word
courageous, think about it. Did that
person really put themselves in harm’s
way by their stand of support?
Was it action, or just words?
Because without action, words of
‘courage’ are as useless as a Facebook
like or share.