Show notes
The Fresh Perspective Podcast - Episode 38How’s it going everyone? I’m Nick and you are listening to Episode 38 of the Fresh Perspective Podcast.Every June, the Free Thought Forum celebrates the stoic cardinal virtue of Courage, also known as “Fortitude” or “Bravery.” In this episode, I’ll share some of the new traditions observed in our “Courage Festival.” But first, I’d like to dive deep into what it means to be courageous. How does a brave person behave? How can we become more courageous people? Come with me as we consider these and other questions unfit for the faint of heart.This program is brought to you by your local Free Thought Forum.We help those in need of an inclusive, supportive, and freethinking community by hosting public discussions on moral philosophy, healthy living, and science, to improve the cohesion, health, and scientific literacy of our society. Everyone is welcome, (regardless of personal background, religious belief, political leanings, etc.) to participate in these open and civil discussions every week.To learn more about our organization, to find a local group meeting near you, or to take part in our weekly online meetings, please visit FreeThoughtForum.org.This episode has four main parts:Cardinal VirtuesWhat is Courage?Becoming a More Courageous PersonCourage Fest TraditionsBefore I jump into this episode’s main topic, I have a few quick but important announcements. As of June 2020, our Springville and Draper groups have begun meeting again, in-person. At this stage of the current pandemic, we will only meet outdoors while all participants are required to wear CDC-Compliant face coverings. These safety guidelines may be adjusted if the situation improves or worsens, so be sure to keep an eye on your group’s official webpage. As always, our Online Group will continue to meet on Discord every Sunday evening.To better utilize our content creators’ resources and ensure that we release high-quality content on a more regular basis, the Executive Board has decided to adjust the upload schedule of this program to one release per month. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility.To keep up with all other announcements from the Free Thought Forum, be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, complete with thought-provoking articles, quotes from famous intellectuals, a complete list of upcoming events for every one of our groups, and more. Sign-up today at freethoughtforum.org/news.Part 1 – Cardinal VirtuesOne main purpose of the Free Thought Forum is to build inclusive, supportive, and freethinking communities. We want to bring people with different backgrounds and beliefs together to have meaningful conversations and build lasting friendships. Our founders believed that seasonal traditions and celebrations could play a major role in bringing communities together. But what should we celebrate? What can groups of conservatives, liberals, the religious, spiritual, and secular people around the world possibly have in common that could unite them four times every year?We answered, “Virtues,” or positive human traits that we would all do well to remember and adopt at any time and in any culture. This is how our four virtue festivals were born, each observed at four roughly equidistant times of the year as determined by our planet’s natural solstices and equinoxes that result from the earth’s axial tilt and orbital position relative to the sun.Our next step was to decide which four universal virtues we’d celebrate. Our search led us through great philosophical and religious works around the globe until we settled on ancient Greece, the birthplace of Western Philosophy. In Plato's famous work, "The Republic," written in 375 B.C., he described an ideal society that was governed by four essential moral characteristics. These were the virtues of “Wisdom,” “Harmony,” “Temperance,” and “Courage” (also known as “Prudence,” “Justice,” “Self-Control,” and “Fortitude”). He and his students argued that all other virtues, such as honesty, patience, hope, compassion, mercy, humility, and endurance, flowed from the mastery of these pivotal four. Several of his students over the years founded what we call “Stoicism,” and continued to promote these four stoic values throughout ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Eventually, Rome became the center of Christianity, and the early Catholic Church incorporated the four as “cardinal virtues.”Today, Freemasonry, Protestantism, and secular organizations such as ours carry on this tradition. To Plato’s credit, these four virtues have even proved broad and deep enough to allow for the inclusion of essential moral characteristics promoted by non-western traditions such as the eight virtues of Taoism and Buddhism's Noble Eightfold Path.Part 2 – What is Courage?“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.” – ThucydidesAccording to Aristotle, courage is the virtuous middle-ground between the extreme vices of cowardice and recklessness. By considering these extremes of absence and excess, we can better understand the virtue between them.The first extreme shows us what we all would be without a sufficient amount of courage. A coward keeps their head down, makes excuses, and doesn’t want to get involved. Like a prey animal, they run and hide. They live life as a perpetual victim and are quick to blame others for their misfortunes. They are too careful and miss opportunities to change themselves, their circumstances, or their society. Likewise, those around them are left to be victimized as well. Cowardice is related to laziness, moral impotence, and freezing in the face of challenges, like a deer in the headlights.Recklessness lies on the other end of the spectrum. A reckless person is led by false assumptions. They stubbornly believe that no one else can help. They insert themselves into situations where they are not wanted. They live like an addict, constantly on the prowl for their next fix. A reckless person isn’t careful enough and carelessly puts themselves and others in danger. They are the gambler who takes far too many risks, the thrill-seeker who scoffs at safety nets, or the pig-headed friend who fails to see the big picture. Recklessness is similar to selfishness, aggression, and greed.Between these two extremes, a brave person is one who acts no more or less than according to what is necessary. The brave don’t let fear or hesitation stop them and they are wise enough to temper their actions with considerations to the consequences of those actions. They act for the betterment of everyone, not only themselves. Put a different way, Courage is only courage when it is modified and tempered by the other cardinal virtues of temperance, wisdom, and harmony. When someone is acting brave while undisciplined, foolish, or self-serving, it is far more accurate to describe them as reckless.This virtue is related to Assertiveness, Valor, Confidence, Bravery, Strength, Stoicism, Resoluteness, Integrity, Boldness, Gallantry, Optimism, Hope, Enthusiasm, and Positivity. How is courage related to positivity? At its core, courage is essentially the will to act. We stand up to a workplace bully, ask a lady to dance, and resist the marauding invaders (or die trying). Courageous action is done with full intent and never as an empty performance. Therefore, I think it is related to optimism because we expect our actions to make a difference. We act with a vision of a better future. Sometimes, showing optimism itself is an act of courage.In a well-written story, its “hero,” or main protagonist, has a noble goal. However, as they try to reach that goal, they meet resistance, challenges, and obstacles. By facing and adapting to those obstacles, they’re later able to claim their goal by paying a heavy price. Because they persevered through this struggle, they experience growth as a character. Tales that follow this classic outline tend to resonate with us because they mirror a fundamental human experience. When we want to improve ourselves and/or the world, it can seem like the universe conspires to hold us back. So many things get in our way, and we quickly learn that many problems have difficult solutions. It takes courage to press on and be the hero of a story. This is one reason why we think of courageous people as “heroic.” As the hero of your own story, courage is essential for your personal growth, and indispensable if you desire to make a meaningful impact on the world.If we, like fictional protagonists, strive to live virtuously and do what is morally right, then we'll encounter resistance and social pressure to compromise on our values. We may be tempted to lose our resolve and dismiss our goals (like the coyote and his sour grapes). At first, it seems like rejecting the call to adventure is the easiest option. Like the coward, we may be all-too-eager to give up, make excuses, escape from consequences, hide, appease, and avoid conflict at all costs. In contrast, a courageous person is focused on tomorrow's reward, not on today's discomfort. The brave care most about doing what needs to be done, no matter the cost.How can we tell if we're courageous people? Courage is something that is constantly tested and proven in moments of pressure. If you aren’t encountering any pressure or resistance in life, then you aren’t being brave. We may like to think we’re brave. We may imagine that we'll act heroically if called upon in the distant future, but this isn't true courage. Courage is proven with action. It’s proactive, so we can’t wait for opportunities to present themselves. Likewise, if you typically deal with challenges by running back to where you're comfortable, then you have some work to do.“Sometimes, even to live is an act of courage.” – SenecaWhen we act courageously, we boldly rise to the challenges of life and take appropriate action, even with the threat of pain, suffering, danger, uncertainty, intimidation, harsh judgment, shame, rejection, loss, discouragement, despair, or anything else we may fear. In short, we don’t let anything stop us or slow us down. We get out of our own way and permit ourselves to go above and beyond what has been done before. As we develop courage, we grow more willing to take reasonable chances and make mistakes so that we can learn and improve.Accepting responsibility is a key element of courage. When we look to great fictional heroes such as Arjuna, Gilgamesh, Perseus, Saint George, Obi-wan-Kenobi, or Captain America, we soon notice that they approach problems differently than most people. While most people complain, cast blame, ignore, or hide away from important issues, heroes step up and face them. They don’t wait around for someone else to save the day. They adopt the problem as their own, bare it on their shoulders, and work to solve it. They, like us, may seek the help of guides and companions, but they never abandon the mission at hand.“Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues.” – John LockeAnother thing to consider is “Moral Courage.” While it may be easier to face our fears and perform heroic deeds, it is no less important to do what is morally right despite the pressure to compromise. It takes courage to think for yourself, to change your mind, to reject dogma, social norms, and conventions, to go against the grain, or to swim upstream. Admitting to a mistake, offering forgiveness, and owning-up to a crime are also important examples of bravery. This virtue isn’t about seeking recognition or decorating your uniform with medals and ribbons. Rather, real courage is about doing what is right in all cases and at all times, especially when no one is looking or keeping score. Likewise, a good test of your moral courage comes when everyone around you has compromised on their values. Should you also relax a little and follow the crowd? A courageous person isn’t afraid to say “no.” They have certain lines they won’t cross, even if they are the last person on earth upholding the standard. They are the mountain that refuses to bow to the wind.Courageous people do not define themselves as victims of circumstance. Instead, they live proactively, heroically, and intentionally. They accept new challenges, adapt, and do what needs to be done. By being more courageous, we are better able to carry out our responsibilities, persevere through hardship, protect ourselves and others, come to the aid of others, and more!Part 3 – Becoming a More Courageous Person“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie CurieBy exercising courage, we can become more courageous. As we develop this virtue, we'll come to understand it better and experience personal growth. It can be developed like a skill and strengthened like a muscle. But how is this done? I have three suggestions.1. Actively Remove Obstacles“A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.” – Lao TzuConsider what is holding you back from pursuing what matters most. What is slowing you down as you try to do what needs to be done? Identify and make a list of the “roadblocks” in your life. Be careful to only list things reasonably within your control. For example, listing “Becky” as the reason for why you can’t find a better job won’t help anyone. Once you have your list, focus first on the smallest obstacle. You’ll have plenty of time to tackle the larger ones later. Make a morally sound and responsible plan on how to remove or adapt to it. (The best plans are the ones that require some character growth and refinement on your part.) Try each plan, replace them if necessary, but don’t stop until your life’s roadblocks are checked off that list, one at a time.2. Stop Making Excuses“Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.” – William ShakespeareTo be clear, it is perfectly realistic to say that much of what we experience in life can be random, unfair, and pointless. While we are no-doubt shaped and buffeted by things outside our control, it is far too common to pretend that nothing is in our control. That unhealthy mindset can cause us to give up the limited power we have. It is like driving a car, only to be stopped by red traffic light. Does this mean that we should get out of the driver seat and shut ourselves in the trunk to morn our lost agency? Of course not. We should continue driving. When we are affected by things outside our control, we still have the power to decide how to respond to them.Stop making excuses. This mental exercise is simple. Whenever you feel like you need to come up with an excuse, don’t. Whenever you feel the need to defend yourself with some explanation about things outside your control, don’t. Become aware of just how often the average person makes excuses. Was your homework turned-in late? Accept the penalty and say you’ll do better next time. Are you getting a speeding ticket? Thank the officer for doing their job and make a mental note to follow the law more closely. Did you forget to do yesterday's load of laundry? Don’t make excuses. Rather, look forward, to the future, and make plans to make better habits. It takes courage to be responsible and admit to our mistakes. When we stop making excuses, we allow ourselves to become more confident, capable, and courageous people.3. Face Your FearsWe naturally tend to avoid whatever makes us anxious or uncomfortable. However, when we seek to better understand our fears, think deeply about them, and if prudent, take measures to confront them head-on, we may find that we are far more capable than expected. What makes you nervous, anxious, and uneasy? It is easy to think of something like “heights” or “spiders,” but I encourage you to think of what truly derails your g…
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