We associate the word courage or bravery with soldiers, firefighters, lifeguards, etc. In a way, we associate physical courage with people who are not bothered about their own lives but believe in saving others.
Mark Twain’s words “Curiously, physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare” challenged me to think about another form of courage that’s much more difficult to practice –it’s called moral courage. The courage to face rejection rather than compromise on beliefs, ethics, and values.
What is Moral Courage?
Let me explain moral courage with a few examples from amongst common people:
- Have you heard of a young boy who stood up against his father as he physically abused his mother? He understood that what his father was doing was inappropriate and stood up against it though he also got beaten up in the process.
- Do you know of people who jump into the sea to save a person from drowning? They do it because saving a person is the right thing to do.
- Whistleblowers do great good as they stand up against corruption risking their lives, jobs, and social rejection.
- A student who when asked whether his assignment was copied from someone, admits his mistake, and makes amends.
- People afraid of public speaking overcome their fear and let go of the thought “What will people say” to become successful speakers.
- Women who stand up against gender discrimination in the workplace or workplace harassment.
- Someone who quits his well-paying job to start an NGO to look after orphans giving up luxury living for simple living and caring for others.
- Do you know a young college student who brought down his social media browsing time from 7 hours to 30 minutes per day facing enough ridicule from so-called friends? He not only achieved great academic success but also improved his interpersonal skills.
- Heartwarming stories from COVID-19 times on how medical professionals risked their lives to save ours!
- Have you heard of people who have given up some sort of addiction? Yes, people who gave up drugs, drinks, gaming, etc. as it was ruining them and took charge of themselves. Now they help others to give up addiction.
All these people can stand up and display courage because they think about the greater good that their actions will bring about. They are not afraid of facing social backlash or retaliation. By taking a stand, they show their commitment to justice and a great desire to create a better world for themselves and the people. But how many such people do we encounter?
Mark Twain’s observation is valid even today! We do hear of people who have saved lives fighting terrorists or those who fought in the wars or who have saved the villagers in an encounter with dacoits. Rarely do we hear of people who stood by the truth and faced ridicule.
One must truly be a person of high integrity and moral fortitude to be able to risk economic prosperity, career progressions, or even loss of friends to stand by your principle or the truth. Especially, when you know you can get into trouble by revealing it! However, if a person does demonstrate moral courage and loses all, he’ll still earn great respect and admiration from others.
Why is Moral Courage Essential?
The lack of moral courage has seen the degeneration in the social fabric as well as in the corporate world. On one hand, we have virtuous companies with a legacy of being known for ethical values for almost a century and a half and yet they continue because the keepers are fiercely protective of their legacy of being known as an ethical company over anything else!
On the other hand, we have witnessed the fall of individuals and organizations on account of fraud/scams purely due to the personal greed of people who were supposed to be the protectors – shocking but true!
Moral courage is essential not only for a virtuous life but a happy one. Without courage, we have no control over our lives. Our fears erode our spirit and confine us in a shell. We die each time we are unable to stand up to the truth, that’s why perhaps Ernest Hemingway said – a coward dies a thousand deaths, the brave but one!
Ways to Motivate ourselves to have Moral courage
- Firstly, we need to question our core values and beliefs by asking ourselves very simple questions that help create self-awareness. A few simple questions can be:
- Do I believe taking or giving a bribe is wrong?
- As a student, do I feel giving proxy attendance or copying in examinations is alright?
- As a working professional, do I indulge in satisfying my personal greed even though it is not aligned with the code of conduct defined by the organization?
- Do I remain silent when I see my family members, friends, or colleagues do unethical things?
- Do I support a colleague who stood up to his Boss and refused to do something illegal?
Behavior is an outcome of our thoughts, emotions, and motivations. When we understand what drives our actions, we will be able to stand up for the truth!
- Secondly, it is very important to practice empathy. It opens the doorway to compassion and leads us to understand people, and situations and work towards solutions.
- The next step is to mingle with like-minded people, this will help us to be strong and resilient as we will be able to support each other.
Standing up for the truth and what is right is not easy, especially in today’s world. Every step taken in the direction of moral courage is a victory over self. It is a reminder of your strong values and beliefs.
Wait no longer go ahead – You can make a difference!
