Let's take a minute and talk about courage. The ability to stand fast in the face of adversity.

Courage to act bravely with determination and clarity of purpose,

to have the fortitude to defend what you believe is right, courage

to be unmoved by fear.

What makes a musk rat guard his musk courage?

Courage is perhaps one of the most universal human virtues.

The great American poet Maya Angelou once famously wrote that

quote courage is the most important of the virtues because without courage you

can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue

erratically, but nothing consistently without courage."

End quote. Mya Angelou's wisdom seems to echo the sentiments of countless thinkers throughout human history

and across cultures.

The ancient Greek philosophers, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle had much to say about courage

as one of the most important qualities to be nurtured in the soul.

Plato argued that courage needed to be harnessed by reason to tame

the beasts of appetite and desire that we all contend with. In India, one of the most beloved sections of the epic poem

known as the Mahabarata is the advice of the God on Earth Krishna to the great

warrior Prince Arjana as he hesitates on the field of battle.

This text known as the Bhagavad Gita proposes that a philosophical perspective, a macro-cosmic lens, and religious devotion

are key to acting courageously. In China, the philosopher Confucius is credited with saying that courage is best when paired with a deep sense of justice.

The saying goes, quote, if an inferior man has courage but neglects justice, he becomes a thief, end quote.

The Dowdé Ching, on the other hand, suggests that courage is deeply connected to love and compassion, telling us that, quote, from caring comes courage, end quote.

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