These words of Churchill's encapsulate how we think of the virtue of courage. Let our imagination run with the concept and it might take us to a battlefield, perhaps somewhere in Rome. Exemplified in someone like Maximus, the hero of the movie Gladiator, we see courage as a response to the possibility of utter loss--loss of property, love, identity, or life. A soldier ignores the possibility of death; an activist stands out alone against an injustice. Maximus makes his return from being a overthrown General through the death-defying life of a Gladiator, Dr. King writes his letters, which are still a source of inspiration for many, from the Birmingham Jail. We know these kinds of men(and women) for their individual actions throughout history, but also for their ability to endure constant trial, and their resilience despite perpetual punishment or loss. However, they are the ones who are seen. We use them as examples, and we create art about their acts, which seemingly dwarf whatever we have done that we believe to be courageous. Yet perhaps what makes courage unique is not who or what makes it notorious, but the subtlety of its use. Any man or woman may face difficulties in life, but not all will face a struggle that is ongoing and relentless. For some, the choice to get out of bed, socially interact, or make it through a work day is an act of courage. It is in many of these cases, that the need for courage turns inward, to the mental life of a person.
There is a moment, part way through the child's story The Hobbit, where the protagonist Bilbo Baggins is given a choice. He can either kill the hideous creature Gollum unawares, or spare his life. Bilbo chooses pity for Gollum instead, setting forward a chain of events unforseeable to him. His decision is described in this way: "all these thoughts passed in a flash of a second. He trembled. And then quite suddenly in a another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped. No great leap for a man, but a leap in the dark" (Tolkien p. 96). Though Bilbo Baggin's choice is largely a moral one, it includes a psychological element. Some people exemplify courage, objectively though a lifetime. Others find it much like Bilbo Baggins, at small yet important impasses. But for a person grappling with courage of the mind, or psychological courage, nothing less than a lifetime of these moments is required. Psychological courage, is the willingness of the individual to struggle through situations, relationships, and circumstances that threaten psychic stability (Attribute to Finfgeld/Putman). This psychic stability is threatened by something as straightforward as chronic pain, or as difficult to overcome as a depressive mood disorder.
Author's Tim Hansel, and James Goldsmith exemplify this range. Hansel, author of a book called "You've Got to Keep Dancing", survived falling down an ice crevasse. He would go on to suffer from depression, and a lost marriage, thanks in part to excruciating back pain. His writing is his personal account of the moment in which he decided to move forward from the injury, in the face of incurable pain. He said of writing his book, "I don't want to 'celebrate pain', but more deeply understand the dignity of what can happen in it, through it, and because of it" (Need Source). Though Hansel experienced depression and suicidal inclinations, few know mental courage better than those who have struggled with psychological disorders. James Goldsmith was diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder in 1997, after several serious breakdowns. Having experienced abuse as a child, and as an result of the breakdowns, hospitalization as an adult, Goldsmith became a student of Psychology to better understand himself and how he interacts with the world. He speaks freely and openly about his "mental illness", channeling his experiences into lectures that he then shares with members of his church community. For Goldsmith, being at the mercy of emotions, never allows for a sense of normalcy (Chapter 5--better source needed). Threats that would go unnoticed to a healthy person, cause violent reactions in him, where behavior is impossible to control, unless with psychotropic drugs.
It is within this scope of mental struggle, that Positive Psychology seeks to engage with the "discouraged". Gathering much of its inspiration from Existential Philosophy, where, according to Sarte, "existence precedes essence"(Need source). It centers around the idea that a person's choice to do anything in the world, ultimately takes courage. Alfred Adler saw the need for courage in man's constant struggle against his natural inferiorities, his striving for perfection. Psychotherapist Victor Frankl experienced this in the concentration camps, when he observed a connection "between the state of mind of a man-his courage and hope, or lack of them-and the state of immunity of his body" (Search for Meaning, Source Needed).
Those who know how close the connection is between the state of mind of a man-his courage and hope, or lack of them-and the state of immunity of his body will understand that the sudden loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect.
his book is in no way meant to diminish the awfulness of pain, tragedy, and affliction. I don’t want to ‘celebrate pain,’ but more deeply understand the dignity of what can happen in it, through it, and because of it.”
And he was miserable, alone, lost. A sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart: a glimpse of endless unmarked days without light or hope of betterment, hard stone, cold fish, sneaking and whispering. A
Rise and Rise
again and again
like the Phoenix
from the Ashes
until the Lambs
become Lions and
The Rule of Darkness
is no more.
- Maitreya The Friend of all Souls
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