It is natural to experience fear, but by doing what is necessary anyway we transform ourselves from ordinary people into heroes. Bravery can be one form of courage: the courage to overcome fear of physical danger. Another form can be moral righteousness: doing the right thing even when we fear social, economic, legal, or other consequences. While having the confidence to experience no fear at all can sometimes be helpful, we define courage to be acting despite fear, rather than without it. To take courage might seem daunting, but like all of the other Aims of Areté, it is actually a developable trait. By doing what is right while the stakes are small, we acclimate ourselves to the consequences of risk and train ourselves to be bolder when the stakes are higher. So much of the suffering in the world is caused by individuals giving in to fear, but as Heroes of Areté we resolutely act with integrity to support our values, no matter how uncertain we feel.
Courage