Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave (The Stoic Virtues Series)

False impressions that feel real.

the opposite of andreia—the ancient Greek word for “courage”—is not cowardice. It’s melancholia.

Can’t lose if you don’t choose? Of course you can. You lose the moment. You lose the momentum. You lose your ability to look yourself in the mirror.

There is no deed in this life so impossible that you cannot do it. Your whole life should be lived as a heroic deed.

First, we are called to rise above our fear and cowardice. Next, we are called to bravery, over the elements, over the odds, over our limitations. Finally, we are called to heroism, perhaps for only just a single magnificent moment, when we are called to do something for someone other than ourselves.

“What cowardice fears most of all,” Søren Kierkegaard said, “is the making of a resolution, for a resolution instantly dissipates the mist.”

Courage, bravery, fortitude, honor, sacrifice . . . Temperance, self-control, moderation, composure, balance . . . Justice, fairness, service, fellowship, goodness, kindness . . . Wisdom, knowledge, education, truth, self-reflection, peace

A scare is a temporary rush of a feeling. That can be forgiven. Fear is a state of being, and to allow it to rule is a disgrace.

Because we are afraid. Because it’s easier not to get involved. Because we have something else we’re working on and now is not a good time.