Relationship between Courage and Gender Essay

A courageous action most often is associated with reaching a goal or task of importance, despite the dangers even risks associated with it (“Courage”). For any specific act to be considered truly courageous it must be reasonably thought about and determined that the goal is well worth the risk or danger (“Courage”). Courage so often can be put with words such as heroic, and bravery although with courage there can be a fine line between courageous acts and plain foolishness. All this can make people believe that courage only applies to physical actions. There are two kinds of courage moral and physical in many cases they are both displayed in a single courageous act; however, bravery must come before all else, because they are associated with reaching a task of importance regardless of risk.

Growing up in a spiritual black home, the topics of sexuality and gender are barely discussed, and if the book that my mom bought me when she couldn’t find the words to teach me about sex herself say anything, then it’s easy to see how I was sheltered from most things as a child. Despite having sex ed in middle school, I still didn’t know much about anything outside of those very awkward and giggle filled health classes. It wasn’t until my best friend pulled me aside after class into the bathroom and whispered in my ear that she was gay, that it’d even cross my mind that maybe I wasn’t as straight as I thought. Even then her coming out to me was an awkward. Picture this, two young girls awkwardly staring at each other in a dirty middle school

Ordinary courage is a book that tells the story of an ordinary man who is inlisted in the continental army in the revolutionary war. Joseph Plumb Martin is the young man fighting in this war, at the time he entered he was just a mere 16 year old kid but by the time his time in the continental army was up he became a man. This is a first person memoir of what it was like for a regular person living in a war zone, and dealing with the everyday fears of food shortage, low morale, and danger of attack. This is something that many people in todays world could not handle because even some of the old guys in the

Courage is one quality every heroine is born with, whether they use it actively or

Often females are made to believe that men are more superior in society and are regularly associated to being brave, heroic or courageous. This is a theme that

Today, courage is not portrayed in fierce warriors slaying dragons or wrestling sea monsters, but is it still relevant. Immediately, one may think of soldiers, police officers, or firefighters as examples of courage. Rightly so, these men and women face unspeakable danger and heartbreak on a daily basis. Their deep sense of justice is admirable to all as they seek to protect those around them, many of which they have never even met. It is clear that these actions are noble and worthy of praise. However, there are many instances where courage is seen as foolishness. For example, many young pregnant women are advised to have an abortion. It is the “wisest” choice for her situation. If she refuses, many would see her decision as near-sighted and reckless. On the contrary, she is choosing the road less travelled on, bravely putting her child’s needs above her own. Courage comes in many different forms and often goes unnoticed to the untrained

Bravery is not just found in the fictional world. It was inspired by real-world acts, things that real people do for themselves and others. The people who talk about courage spread it with their words. For example, a woman, Paula Davis-Laack J.D., M.A.P.P, a writer for Psychology Today, explains in her article “Let’s Teach Girls to be Brave, not Perfect.”, that “Women have been socialized to be people pleasers, to not rock the boat, to be perfect, and this socialization has downstream consequences. Bravery requires something different: a growth mindset, resilience, and vulnerability and self-compassion.” (Davis-Laack). Of course, this could apply to anyone, but society has stereotyped this necessary trait badly. Fortitude does not discriminate anyone based on race, gender, ability, or anything on that matter. Another article in Psychology Today, this one titled “A Surprising New Definition of Bravery”, by Harriet Lerner, Ph.D., does quote in her article “We can’t evaluate courage from the outside because courage comes from the inside.” (Lerner). This is agreeable because there are some people who take charge, and try

Through the means of books, movies, television, and everyday encounters, courage is shown in many ways throughout life. Wondering how my peers defined this abstract term pushed me to question some of them. The first three people I asked said “courage is persisting through something even though it seems impossible.” My research found this to be the most common response from teenagers because it can be applied in many parts of life–meaning it must be relatable–and is easy to comprehend. Commonly, teenagers deal with school drama, family issues, and the balance of classes and depending on what is going on in their lives, many show courage by persevering. Only one student had an outlier definition:“courage is simply a choice.” Merriam Webster Dictionary defines this concept as “mental or moral strength to venture.” Scrounging my brain for my own witty definition, I came to the conclusion that it is a combination all the definitions stated above, yet not restricted to just these three.

To define courage you also have to define what courage is not. Courage is not the nonexistence of the feeling of danger. A child touching a hot stove is ignorant of the hazard of the actions he is

A main concern involves whether men or women are more likely to provide help. Generally men are perceived as more helpful within a dangerous situation in which immediate intervention is needed. This was also delineated in the study by Piliavin et al. (1969) were 90% of subway helpers were males. From an evolutionary point, women show a higher preference for bold men who will support the family environment and thus knowing that, men try to display acts of bravery to be seen as capable towards women. Women also seem to help in a long-term basis and mostly close-related members. Eagly and Crowley (1986) conducted a meta-analysis of 172 studies which supported the idea that men provide an immediate help when faced within an emergency setting in which heroic displays are prevalent, whereas women are more likely to be the ones being helped. Becker and Eagly (2004) following their previous study performed a new study under gender differences regarding heroic acts. This was achieved by observing bravery of both sexes in dangerously accounted situations such as the rescuing of people by Carnegie medalists and in situations of being at a lower risk but again acting bravely such as becoming a volunteer in the Peace Corps. In all circumstances, besides the Carnegie Medalists who were unanimously men, women tended to exhibit the same amount of heroism thus contradicting the previously study by Eagly and

   Nelson Mandela 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.” Courage can be witnessed in various forms, but ultimately courage has the same basis within each construct of the word. Whether overcoming a difficult task or doing something positive for the greater good, courage complies with overcoming fears and performing unnecessary tasks to better something else. For an act to be courageous it must comply with the following criteria.

The current dictionary definitions of courage are inadequate because they only include references to physical courage and omit instances of inner vigor. Three contemporary dictionaries accede proximately on the definition; Webster’s New World Dictionary describes courage as “an posture of facing and dealing with anything apperceived as hazardous, arduous or painful, without withdrawing from it,” and The American Heritage Dictionary gives a similar explication. While The Shorter Oxford Dictionary concurs with this meaning, it verbalizes that the primary definition is “spirit, mind, or disposition.” The study of the concept of Courage reveals that courage is finding strength to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear. Mortimer Adler’s depiction of courage is included in his Great Books of the Western world. Adler uses the heroes of history to enforce his point that heroes are not heroes unless they are courageous.

The male and female composure has many differences that make up the structure of the society we cherish. There are contradicting features between a man and woman. Men are stamped by muscular platforms that complement rigid labor. Women are slightly less muscular, but more flexible and emotional in work. The female body has a wonderful gift of birthing a child. Creating a life within her womb is what allows both sexes to co-exist today. Men have the key that allows the beginning of a youngling within females? ovaries. A man tends to be less emotional than a woman due to higher testosterone levels in his genetic make up. Women have higher levels of estrogen moreover testosterone, which gives way to a more compassionate lifestyle. Ability to sense smell, touch, taste, sight, and sound is stronger

Courage is an essential quality that is found in every archetypal hero. Courage is defined as the quality of mind and spirit that enables an individual to face difficulty, danger, and pain without fear. An individual is not born with a courageous heart, but instead develops courage through experience of difficulty and danger. The stimulation of courage is analogous to the growth of a beautiful flower. Courage starts off as a seed which is planted in the soil of the individual's heart. The planting of the seed is usually initiated by a courageous act during a time of difficulty or danger. As an individual experiences many of these dangerous and difficult circumstances, the individual's courage begins

Secondly, heroism also requires courage; the courage of doing the right thing and the courage to stick to their core purpose. Polster writes in her article, "Eve's Daughters" that "In truth, she simply considers the risk of death or injury to be less important than her purpose" (Polster, 2001). In other words, heroes believe so firmly in their purpose that they are willing to sacrifice their lives in its pursuit. Thus, this unwavering courage sets the difference between a hero and a follower. Courage means the ability to move forward in the face of risks, uncertainty and possibility of loss. People feel immense respect towards the heroes for their willingness to conquer fear and do the right thing every time. Subsequently, courage is a key