If you abandon a moral position because that position puts you at risk, then the position was never moral, but merely one of convenience. Bravery is sticking to your beliefs, even when those beliefs open you to danger. No matter what our military strength, we are cowards if we do not fight in a manner consistent with our beliefs. And this is more true the graver the danger, not the other way around as some would have it. There is no way to temporarily lay aside justice. Once it's gone you cannot have it back.
i most heartily concur. there's a lot of confusion in our culture right now about the value we call courage. interestingly enough webster's defines it, based on its 14th century usage, as mental or moral strength first and foremost. therefore, the courage to retaliate or to act aggressively without forethought is in fact not a demonstration of courage at all, merely an act of belligerence. true courage involves, as i believe you are implying, the true bravery in the face of danger that is required in (and requires) thinking clearly and patiently about what is really happening, rather than responding in anger. some would say that what separates us from animals is our ability to act from reason and not merely react from the viscera. sun tzu instructs us that the battle fought is already the battle lost, and that true victory comes from the prevention of conflict.
How great is the web? I'm sort of bummed out today listening to all the news, so I throw something out into the void, and immediately hear back from someone I don't know. That makes me feel a little better. Thanks Jim.
news is dangerous, what happen??
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- jim 11-05-2002 10:58 pm
i most heartily concur. there's a lot of confusion in our culture right now about the value we call courage. interestingly enough webster's defines it, based on its 14th century usage, as mental or moral strength first and foremost. therefore, the courage to retaliate or to act aggressively without forethought is in fact not a demonstration of courage at all, merely an act of belligerence. true courage involves, as i believe you are implying, the true bravery in the face of danger that is required in (and requires) thinking clearly and patiently about what is really happening, rather than responding in anger. some would say that what separates us from animals is our ability to act from reason and not merely react from the viscera. sun tzu instructs us that the battle fought is already the battle lost, and that true victory comes from the prevention of conflict.
- another guy named jim (guest) 11-05-2002 11:09 pm
How great is the web? I'm sort of bummed out today listening to all the news, so I throw something out into the void, and immediately hear back from someone I don't know. That makes me feel a little better. Thanks Jim.
- jim 11-05-2002 11:17 pm
news is dangerous, what happen??
- Skinny 11-06-2002 12:42 am