Courage vs. Comfort
“Courage is not the absence of fear but choosing to move forward in the face of it.” Different variations of this definitive quote have been attributed to Mark Twain, Nelson Mandela, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Courage is an enduring virtue held in high esteem across historical time periods, schools of philosophical thought, religions, and cultures. It is also something we could use more of today. ↓
Many have utilized the phrase “age of anxiety” to describe the time we live in, which can be particularly perplexing when we consider how modern life seemingly includes more comforts and conveniences than ever before. Michael Easter observes in The Comfort Crisis that “most people today rarely step outside their comfort zones. We are living progressively sheltered, sterile, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged, safety-netted lives.” These dynamics can create the illusion of a more-or-less risk-free life and the assumption that the minimization of any fear-inducing risk is always the best course of action. We can begin to choose comfort over courage, favoring what is easy over what is purposeful and shrinking back from fully experiencing life.
We choose comfort over courage, favoring what is easy over what is purposeful and shrinking back from fully experiencing life.
This can misguide our decisions and distort our threat-detection systems which are wired for survival. Although most of us rarely face imminent lethal threats on any kind of regular basis, we can begin to disproportionately fear the lesser threats of judgment, uncertainty, discomfort, and failure which are still ubiquitous in daily life: walking into your classroom or office, a social event, or even checking your phone for an update or response can feel perilous indeed. But if we allow the fear of these things to grow out of proportion, it can rob us of essential dynamics in life, stunt our growth, and lead us to take refuge in unhealthy habits, relationships, and thinking patterns. The reality is that there are never any risk-free options because even playing it safe comes at a cost: the temporary relief we may get from taking the easy route is typically far outweighed by the value of the potential and sense of vitality we discover when we are willing to courageously leave our comfort zones and challenge ourselves. Permitting ourselves to make and learn from our mistakes can be particularly empowering.
The reality is that there are never any risk-free options because even playing it safe comes at a cost
Courage does not require most of us to run headfirst into a literal battle on the field, but it does require us to identify goals, to take decisive action, and to expose ourselves to vulnerability. Where could exercising courage potentially introduce a helpful difference in your life today? Perhaps it is taking a chance in a relationship where you’ve been yearning for deeper connection, exploring that new job possibility further, allowing your child to do something difficult, inviting another into what is currently happening in your life, or maybe just taking time to slow down and be more honest with yourself.
Courage requires us to identify goals, to take decisive action, and to expose ourselves to vulnerability.
Whatever it is, remember that as we learn to accept the inevitable uncertainties of life that confront us on a regular basis, we are freed to face what is actually within our control with more energy, boldness, and openness to positive possibility. This is not a call to recklessness, but not a call to always play it safe either. Fear-free lives are not possible and the emotional response of fear can help sustain life when it identifies real threats in a proportionate manner, but fear-driven lives are not inevitable. So instead of trying to maximize comfort or avoid difficulty, think about areas of your life where you could challenge yourself or take a healthy risk. And don’t forget to encourage others along the way: we could all use it.
For further reading, check out this brief article about one individual’s struggle to choose courage amidst their battle with PTSD: https://www.nami.org/Personal-Stories/Courage