Being Brave vs Being Courageous
I was invited to a podcast recently where I was asked about the differences between Being Brave vs Being Courageous.
Both show an ability to confront risk and boldly take action. But there’s nuance nestled in each of these two ideas that reveals the daylight between one another.
Being brave happens in the moment.
Being courageous happens in the Marathon.
What do I mean by this?
Bravery is an act that often occurs off an instinct where intuition kicks in…smack in the thick of a moment. Think: quick-hit impulse.
Courageousness is when you deliberately summon a fear to the surface — then — staring it straight in the face — consciously decide, “you know, I am afraid… but I’m going to move forward anyway.” Think: long-game intentional.
Moving through doubt, can feel insurmountable. And as many of you might recall from my definition of courage, this can’t be taken on with daredevil abandon — that’s not courage, that’s recklessness.
But I digress.
The role fear plays in both ideas is often the largest tell of them all. The speed and spontaneity that comes with bravery involves matador’ing fear. Courage is about having fear, being aware of the risks, and making the conscious decision to take action anyway.
Acts of Bravery and Courageousness are better than the alternative which the majority follow — highlighted below in one of my all-time favorite quotes…
Keep it moving out there.
