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Plato defined courage as 'the preservation of right opinion about what is to be feared and what is not. ' It is not recklessness; it is the knowledge that some things (like dishonor) are more terrifying than death. True courage is an intellectual virtue as much as a physical one—it requires the wisdom to know what is worth fighting for. He teaches that courage is the virtue that preserves the soul against the corrupting influence of pain and pleasure.
"We are twice armed if we fight with faith."
"Courage is a kind of salvation."
"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be governed by evil men."
"Sometimes misattributed as "Courage is knowing what to fear and what not to fear", this paraphrase is actually from Werner Jaeger's book Paideia: the Ideal of Greek Culture, Volume II, p. 122, where the footnote references Protagoras 360d5."
"I would rather die having spoken after my manner, than speak in your manner and live."
"Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed, by the masses."
"Courage is knowing what not to fear."
Seeing how Plato approaches Courage helps you apply the idea with more precision.
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"Use this collection whenever you need Plato's lens on Courage."