Courage doesn't have to be big. It doesn't have to be grand. It doesn't have to be the kind of thing that people make documentaries about or movies about or write biographies about.
Courage, I think, is usually small, and it's really just a matter of doing something which is a bit more than nothing, something which is a little uncomfortable, which is a little challenging, which is a little awkward, but which is a bit more than nothing.
And I say this because I think it's true, but I also say it because I think it has political significance, that if we tie ourselves down to either huge, great, unattainable acts of courage, or doing nothing at all, then of course we'll end up doing nothing at all.
But if we're able to perform very small acts of courage, well, I then tend to think that we'll get through this.
Timothy Snyder 22nd September 2026, Kharkiv, Ukraine
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| September morning sun by the river |
In the German Language, we have several words for courage, one of them is Zivilcourage which is not easy to translate because it is more than just civic or civil or moral courage, it's when you jump over your shadow, put your own comforts aside, remember your deeply buried core values and listen to your fear, yes, most definitely your fear, accept that there may be drawbacks, but remain prepared to stand up for integrity, for the legitimate, collective and primarily non-material interests of all.
Oh, it's so hard. I feel so small.
In my personal life, I call this "baby steps." It gets me through lots of things. But it isn't quite the same as the moral courage to do what's right in consideration of all life...even when taking small steps. Not exactly sue how to approach that one.
ReplyDeleteI think that any acts of courage, no matter how small, matter. They add up over time.
ReplyDeleteI've tried to cultivate courage throughout my life, because I was surely not born courageous.
ReplyDelete