We are all afraid of something. And that’s perfectly normal. However, some of us can face our fears and overcome them. And for others, the process becomes a real challenge, so they try with all their might to avoid what scares them. The difference between these groups of people is courage. Let’s find out what it is, what it is for, and whether it is possible to become brave and not be afraid of anything.
What Is Courage in Terms of Psychology
In psychology, courage is understood as a psychological attitude in which a person can consciously resist fear and take a certain risk to achieve a specific goal. It helps us to face our fears and overcome them. That is, the brave aren’t those who aren’t afraid of anything, but those who know how to fight fear.
Courage is closely linked to self-confidence and self-esteem. Without these qualities, it will be difficult for us to overcome ourselves. What influences the formation of courage?
- Character. It can be seen in childhood. Some children are more perky and persistent. They are not afraid to climb high slides, storm trees, gamble at a casino site and try new things. Others are more calm and quiet, often give in and prefer quiet games. These qualities persist into adulthood.
- Parenting. This has to do with basic trust in the world. If parents do not form it in a child, he/she considers the world an unsafe place, so he/she tries to avoid frightening situations as much as possible.
- Previous experiences. Negative experiences can cause fears and the development of timidity and shyness. The more often we get burned, the less risky we are.
- Life attitudes. They are formed by their character, upbringing, experience and influence of other people. Together, they make us more courageous or more shy.
What Courage Is for
Courage is one of the key qualities that every person needs. It helps us gain determination in tense moments and take action in spite of the fear we feel at that moment. Without courage, there would be no people who speak out against injustice. Without it, there wouldn’t have been many scientific discoveries and advances in humanity.
We need courage to confess a bad deed or to tell about a crime. It’s the basis of bravery and courage, without which feats are impossible, about which films are made and books are written. We use it when we resist a sagacious boss, challenge our parents, or end an abusive relationship.
But most importantly, courage helps us to be ourselves in any situation, to resist pressure, provocation and manipulation, to go against the opinion of the crowd and stand our ground. It helps us overcome our fears, try new things, go down unbeaten paths, and achieve our dreams.
Is It Always Necessary to Be Bolder and More Decisive?
However, complete fearlessness, as well as a strong shyness, is not always good. When we rush into battle without understanding the situation, it can lead to rash actions that we later regret. And in some cases, we may have to undo what we ourselves have done. Lack of fear makes us reckless.
Besides, if we are not afraid to hurt others, not thinking about their feelings and experiences, we can unwittingly hurt them. This is what leads to misunderstandings between men and girls: men are not afraid to speak out, rather than offend their beloved. Tired of such treatment, she leaves.
Besides, fearlessness constantly pushes a man to risky behavior. When you are not afraid of anything, you want to tickle the nerves with extreme, illegal substances or illegal actions. Sooner or later it becomes an addiction and can end badly.
Why Can’t We Get up the Courage
Sometimes a person needs to be more determined and courageous, but there is no way he can do it. He tries some training for courage, but runs into obstacles. What prevents us from developing courage?
- Our attitudes. Self-confident people are easier to be courageous and brave. If we are not confident in ourselves and our abilities, then it’s difficult for us to decide to change.
- Influence of loved ones. Sometimes parents or spouses tell us directly or indirectly that we cannot change ourselves. If those closest to us don’t believe in us, we don’t believe in ourselves.
- Social environment. We are also influenced by what our social environment broadcasts. If everyone around us is afraid and hesitant to show courage, it takes enormous moral strength to get out of this situation.
In some cases, we simply lack the courage to become more decisive, more confident, and to cultivate courage. We are used to a state of helplessness and insecurity. And any change seems like a disaster to us. However, even in this case, you can try to change things.
If a person is brave, it doesn’t mean that he isn’t afraid of anything. It means that he knows how to face his fear and overcome it. This skill can be developed with the help of special psychological techniques.
How to Develop Courage
Courage can be trained. And the first thing to do on this path is to find a strong desire to change yourself. So it does not remain just a desire, and turned into an intention, tell them about it. You can write a post on social networks, where you talk about your aspirations, or make a bet with one of your closest friends.
Next, you need to follow some guidelines that will help build courage. What can you do?
- Jump in the water. The longer you wait and weigh it, the less likely you are to decide to do it, so at first you need to act first and think later. It’s similar to going into cold water: if you go in gradually, you might not go in at all, so you have to dive in right away.
- Change attitudes. Make a table. In one column, write what you want, and in another – what prevents achieving the desired goal. In the third – options that will help you cope with the obstacles. Thus, from insurmountable you make them quite achievable.
- Work through fears. Remember that the brave isn’t the one who is not afraid of anything, but one who can cope with fears. Similar to the previous point, make a table in which you write down what you’re afraid of, why you’re afraid of it and how you can fix it.
- Try new things. Best of all, what you’re afraid of. If the mere thought of talking to a stranger makes you sick, initiate such conversations, such as in transportation or a long line. This expands your comfort zone and reduces fear.
Remember that you are writing your own life story, so you can choose how you want to be – brave, courageous, courageous, brave or, conversely, timid, modest and aloof. The scariest part is deciding to make a change and start moving down that path. With the first successes will come self-confidence, followed by change.
