Premium Essay

What Does Courage Mean To Me

Submitted By
Words 368
Pages 2
Courage Courage is a strange word to me. I’ve never considered anything I’ve done to be courageous - only things that had to be done or said that I never wanted. They’re ordinary acts. Things that nobody will care about and things nobody will remember. Speaking up. Standing out. Bland, mediocre. I’ve been told that I’m utterly average and I’ve learned to accept it. I don’t ask for pity or attention. I’m not able to please people and that’s fine with me. Being average is how I’ve always lived. It wraps around me like a shell covers turtle. It’s heavy, it makes slows me down, it hinders my abilities but it’s all I’ve ever known. I’ve learned to call it my home and without it I’d be lost. I’ve been taught to never expect much reward from my work, that I’m expendable. I’m just another figure that you walk by …show more content…
I’ve been told that I’m useless, a disappointment, unmanageable, a waste of space. I’ve been told that I don’t deserve better, that they deserve a better son than me. That I’ll never be good enough no matter how I try because my flaws and mistakes will always swallow my good intentions. I’ve been told that I’ll never understand, that they have the right to do whatever they want simply because they can. I’ve been ignored, ostracized, looked down upon. I’ve been told that no matter how high I climb I’ll just fall back down. I’m just another person in a crowd of others. Insignificant. I’m worthless and that’s okay with me. I don’t ask for “help,” for “comfort.” I don’t need or want any of those things. I’m fine. So when I’m asked, “What’s something you’ve done that’s courageous?” I can’t think of anything. Anything I’ve ever done has always been mediocre or less than average. What’s my act of courage? Writing this paper. Leaving myself vulnerable to the consequences of my mindless words and ungratefulness. I don’t have the right to complain, no right to waste your time with my bland story. I shouldn’t ask for more. How has this act changed me? It hasn’t. It

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Named Courage Research Paper

...My Inheritance Named Courage “Courageous, brave, strong, outgoing...” and the list goes on and on. I could not describe a single superhero without using one of those words, and at the very top of that list, is courage. It seems almost cliché to use nowadays. For myself, courage became something ordinary. It had this numb meaning, almost as if this rare trait lost its worth when it became a normality. To think that a value that I see now as priceless, could be thought of as common and as easily obtained as a cold. However, it all boils down to meaning. How courage is defined truly sets its own value in someone’s mind. At least, that was what happened with me. Courage finally became more than just a word, it became a perspective, a goal, a standard. To do so, all I had to do was look inside my own home. Who knew that extraordinary people could live such “ordinary” lives? In the end, my parents...

Words: 859 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Being An American Soldier Research Paper

...By definition, to be a soldier is to be engaged in military service, especially the Army. To me, being a professional American soldier means so much more than that. To begin with, not everyone has what it takes to be a soldier, and even fewer people have what it takes to be an American soldier. I take pride in serving my country and defending the people I love. I believe that to be a professional soldier you must uphold honor, respect, integrity, courage, and loyalty at all times. In order to be a professional soldier you must exceed being an example of an individual who displays honor. An honorable individual is honest and shows integrity in their actions and beliefs. Honor to me is standing by your own convictions when they are correct and...

Words: 500 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

A Brief Essay On Courage: What Is Courage

...Courage. What is courage? What does it look like? Does it have a taste or smell? Where Does it come from? These questions seem very difficult to some, but are crystal clear to others. This is a very controversial topic that many people simply do not understand. First off, what is courage? People all over the world read and hear about it everyday. Despite this, many people just can not fathom the idea of it. Courage derives from the latin word ‘Cor’ which means heart, or to have heart. To have courage is to have power. It is the power to have the eyes of an insidious beast looking you in the eyes, and having the power to stare back. Doing the right thing because it is right and not the wrong thing because the wrong thing may have a better outcome is an example of bravery. When we overcome our fears, or simply just face them, even though we are scared, is when we experience fearlessness. Many people portray acts of valor without even realizing. Knowing what courage is and being able to picture it is two different things. How does it look, sound, taste, feel, and smell? It looks like someone who is terrified of life, but chooses to live instead of just being alive. The gunshots ringing from the barrel of a soldier’s gun is how it sounds. The distinct...

Words: 1404 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Courage Is a Virtue

...1102-222 6th September 2013 Courage is a virtue As a kid, I watched a lot of cartoons. Some were memorable and had an impact on my life, while some were not. One of the most memorable was a cartoon called ‘Courage the Cowardly Dog’. You can probably see from the title that this cartoon was very interesting. It has had a big impact on my philosophy as I have learnt life facts from watching it. I believe that I wouldn’t be the same person that I am today if I never came across it. I think it’s safe to say that as a kid, I did not know and understand a lot of things. The world to me was in black and white. You were either the good guy or the bad guy and when I watched TV, I always liked the good guys. This was how I felt when watching ‘Courage the Cowardly Dog’ but all that started to change as I grew up. This cartoon was about a dog named Courage that was adopted by a woman named Muriel. She found him abandoned on a trash can hungry and needing a diaper change. Her and her husband, Eustace, were on their way home when she saw him and immediately fell in love with him. Courage loved Muriel for being nice and loving, almost like a mother to him, so he always took care of her. As you can probably see from the title of the show, Courage’s name is a contradiction of his actual personality. He got frightened by almost anything and was always suspicious of people and activities that happened around him. They lived in the middle of nowhere, which was what the place was called and therefore...

Words: 1095 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Definition Essay-It's Why Courage Is Tricky

...lives. It helps us overcome failures and setbacks. It makes or breaks the habits in failure and success, and it applies to all of us. It is a need we all have in our lives. It is the need for courage. “That's why courage is tricky. I mean any fool can have courage. But honor, that's the real reason you either do something or you don't. It's who you are and maybe who you want to be. If you die trying for something important, then you have both honor and courage, and that's pretty good. I think that's what the writer was saying. That you should hope for courage and try for honor. And maybe even pray that the people telling you want to do have some too.(Atom 1)” This clearly sums up how you define courage, in my opinion. With courage comes honor. When you face your obstacles knowing that they’re going to be hard or tricky, or break a habit that is courage. Although, when you do them the right way and come out on top. That is truly an honor. A person who never...

Words: 904 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Courage

... Courage I believe courage is something that comes from deep inside oneself. I feel everyone has courage and uses it at different times and in different ways. I think most of the tales,stories and movies that we and our children are raised on have heroic and inspirational themes. The Bible tells of David battling Goliath, and The Wizard of OZ tells of the cowardly lion who must find courage to face the witch. There are other forms of courage such as when Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela spoke out against injustice, or people like Steve Jobs and Walt Disney took huge financial risks to follow their dreams. Courage ranges from physical strength to mental stamina. There are probably more kinds and examples of courage than what I'm going to talk about,but I'm just going to touch on a few. The first kind of courage is overcoming fear,so you can do what needs to be done. It could be something as small as overcoming the fear of speaking in public. Whatever your fear, it will take courage to face that fear. Fear of failure kept me from going back to school and furthering my education. Finally,at age thirty-eight, I overcame my fear and returned to school. I regret not doing it sooner. Nelson Mendela once said” I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”(...

Words: 1043 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Courage of the American Soldier

...Courage of the American Soldier Courage of the American Soldier What comes to mind when you hear the word courage? Bravery, fear, or may be…nothing at all. To me when I hear the word courage or even courageous I think of the American Soldier. Courage can often be hard to define and or even harder to demonstrate. As an American Soldier of the United States Army we live by seven Army Values, which I believe are all equally important. The seven values that I am speaking of are Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and the seventh value "Personal Courage". Personal Courage as defined by the Army is to face fear, danger or adversity which I believe is the same as being courageous. In my 24 years of service, I have encountered numerous situations that have required me and other Soldiers to be courageous on several occasions. To be courageous does not mean you have to be heroic or do something grand, it can be small things. Examples I retain are having to leave home and face an unknown enemy and not even know if you will return. This is what makes the American Soldier a person of great courage. Every Soldier has been raised by their parents with a different set of moral values and beliefs which can affect what they find "courageous". But to me, being courageous professionally is to know what your duty is in relation to yourself, the Army and the people you...

Words: 494 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Courage In The Lightning Thief

...What is courage? Courage is not afraid of failure. Courage is admitting mistakes, learn from failure. Courage is stay away from fear, and dare to challenges. The most important of courage is have the courage to give up what you already have because only when you have the courage of letting go then you get the second chance of having it again. In both literature novel, courage effect all character choice in their life. In Percy Jackson, the lightning thief by Rick Riordan, young teenager must be facing the monster and trying to stop the war also save their friends mom life. They need courage to face all the life and death choice and they are all teenager, the pressure they have and the courage they need to fight to live or death. Also in Dracula...

Words: 2038 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Research Methodology

...We acknowledge that as humans we need to enhance our ability to think and maintain our self-awareness. What binds these abilities are the different values we are born into, grow with and die for. We believe that through these values, we need to develop to make sure that we do not lose our essence as a human being. A value is a belief, a mission, or a philosophy that is meaningful. Whether we are consciously aware of them or not, every individual has a core set of personal values. Values give meaning to our lives, allowing us to see reality with understanding and the passion to carry out our plans. It can range from the commonplace, such as the belief in hard work and punctuality, to the more psychological, such as self-reliance, concern for others, and harmony of purpose. "Achieving starts with believing" (Smith, 1999, p.13). In order for us to attain fully our values, then we must first believe in them. All too often we have heard people state something that they hold valuable, and when they try to achieve it, they realize that they really don’t believe in it. We can energize our lives by making the full effort to implement the values we subscribe to. Once we identify values that are meaningful to us, we can develop strategies to implement them. When we make the determined effort to implement those strategies; new opportunities, new sources of revenue and income, and other forms of material and psychological benefit may follow. We will examine four values that we believe...

Words: 1436 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

How Does Atticus Show Courage

...In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the presence of courage is illustrated throughout the whole book. Courage, the ability to do something that frightens one. It takes a strong, vigorous and optimistic person to illustrate courage. In this case, the main character, Scout, displays perfect examples of courage throughout the entire novel. Scout does it while she herself does not notice. Like when stands up to an angry racist mob from lynching Tom Robinson, a “negro” accused of raping a white woman. Not everyone would have enough determination to walk up to a group of people who are about to kill someone. Before knowing why Scout stood up for Tom and have the guts to do so. The reader learns in the beginning of the story, how Atticus teaches Scout that doing the right thing doesn’t always mean going along with everyone else. Referencing of being your true self and have “pride” of yourself instead of being in “vain” (Austen)....

Words: 524 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Achilles Vs Beowulf Essay

...What comes to mind when you hear the word hero? Many do not realize what it takes to become a hero. In the short story Beowulf, he was considered a hero because he was brave and stood up for himself. Consequently, in the Iliad, Achilles was seen as a hero by many for the battles he fought. People do not understand that there is more to it than just saving a person from danger and defeating bad guys to be a hero. Some people believe to be considered a hero, they must have the courage and be brave. In both the Iliad and Beowulf, the characters exhibit heroic qualities such as strength, bravery, and be independence. Beowulf showed his strength when he fought Grendel’s Mother. In the quote “If weapons were useless he’d use his hands, the strength in his fingers. (line 489).” For example, this means that Beowulf would continue to show how strong he is with or without a weapon. To have strength means to be strong and be able to put up a fight. In the Iliad Achilles shows strength when he encountered Hector. In the quote “Achilles drove his point straight through the tender neck, but not cutting his windpipe, leaving Hector able to speak and to respond (line 166).” Additionally, this means that Achilles used his strength by putting his sword through Hector tender neck and by putting up a fight. To have bravery means to not be afraid and...

Words: 631 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

How Is Courage Shown In To Kill A Mockingbird

...Dictionary defines courage as, “the ability to control your fear in a dangerous or difficult situation.” Harper Lee agrees with this statement in her own way by having Atticus tell Jem, I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. (Lee 112) She also agrees with this definition by demonstrating courage in these ways throughout the novel. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the three characters that demonstrate outstanding courage are Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and Atticus. Boo Radley demonstrates noteworthy courage by making himself vulnerable to save Scout and Jem from Mr. Ewell’s attack. He makes himself physically vulnerable since he could have also been attacked, but exposes himself to save the children. He does not want to be seen or known, but briefly overcomes that fear when he hears the cries of trouble. This makes him feel emotionally vulnerable. He also indicates his courageousness by staying in the Finch house after the attack. He feels insecure around people but stays to ensure Jem’s safety. Finally, Boo expresses courage by admitting he was uncomfortable...

Words: 835 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Research Paper

...Heroes Paper The world needs heroes, but what really is a hero? A hero is someone who shows remarkable perseverance and courage. Perseverance means that you never give up and courage is when you are not afraid to do something. A hero should also be hard working which means they always do their best and does it diligently. Anyone who shows any of these qualities is a hero. A true hero is a person that is hard working. Jackie Robinson is perfect for this. He was the 1st African American to play major league baseball in history. His road to success was not so easy though. He was mistreated by all of the other white players in the league because they didn’t like him. Jackie Robinson was constantly getting big cuts on his legs because when he would slide into base, the other players would get him with the bottom of their cleats. Jackie Robinson was on the Brooklyn Dodgers so many of his own teammates did not like him. Many of the pitchers from other teams threw the ball at him which gave him many bruises. Despite all of this, Jackie Robinson became a star in baseball and led the Brooklyn Dodgers to a World Series appearance. This example of Jackie Robinson shows that no matter how much adversity you go through, if you keep on working hard, you can achieve great things. Heroes also show the great quality of perseverance. Harriet Tubman is someone who showed exemplary perseverance. She was a slave that worked hard, but was still abused by her plantation owner. One day she decided...

Words: 738 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Courage In Funny Boy By Shyam Selvadurai

...Courage that lies within “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” - Anne Radmacher. Courage is something felt by everyone, for different reasons yet it drives each person to diverse goals. In Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai; characters within the novel demonstrate their courage through Radha’s choice of spouse and Arjie’s sexual identification. Courage does not necessarily mean standing in front of a crowd or saving someone from a burning building, courage can be the fight for one's beliefs or identity. In Tamil cultures; arranged marriages are common, and such ideas are introduced to children when they are at Arjie’s age. Arjie wants further information about...

Words: 1025 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Courage In Leif Enger's Peace Like A River

...Courage in Peace like a River Like Mark Twain once said, “courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” I feel like this quote exemplifies courage because courage is overcoming a fear and standing up to it. To me, it’s putting yourself in any kind of danger or risk to do what is right. Leif Enger explores this idea in Peace Like a River by showing how Davy, Reuben, and Jeremiah are courageous. Reuben’s dad, Jeremiah Land, is a good man. He always seems to do the right thing no matter how scary I could be. He’s not only my favorite character, but in my opinion, the bravest and best human in the book. At the very beginning, Jeremiah, being the janitor, was in the boy’s locker room of Roofing High School when he heard laughs...

Words: 896 - Pages: 4