Sometimes its one feeling that is stronger than another feeling.
There was an experimenter where a plank was put on the ground and a woman walked over it easily.
Then she was taken elsewhere and walked the plank blindfolded easily, but what she didn’t know was that the plank was between two buildings and she was shocked when the blindfold was taken off and swore that she would never do that again.
But the man conducting the experiment said to her, “Would you walk across if your child was on the other side dangerously hanging and about to fall to the child’s death, and she said instantly that she would take the risk to save her child.
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A young man visits Socrates in search of wisdom.
Socrates takes the young man out to a lake and dunks his head under water.
As the man’s struggles to come up for air, Socrates holds him under.
Later, after recovering, the young man asks Socrates why he nearly drowned him.
Socrates replies, “What is it you most wanted when you were under water?”
“Air,” the young man replies.
Socrates responds, “When your desire for wisdom is as great as your desire to breathe, you will find wisdom.”
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Tom Cruise is known for taking risks for getting a good exciting shot for a movie.
What do you want more than anything?
What do you fear the most?
Can you overcome your greatest fears to get what it is that you want the most in life?
Sometimes we need to drive ourselves on, be our most fierce motivator, and be our best and most powerful encourager and supporter, and only then will we take those precious risks that bring us the life we really want, or the success that we really want, or the accomplishment that we really want.
What motivates people to take risks for what they believe in?
Themselves, their values, their desire to do what msut be done.
Martin Luther was under threat of his life when he took on the Pope, yet he refused to recant and refused to bow down to the Pope who he felt was corrupt. So even faced with what seemed absolute death he refused to take back the accusations that he had made against the Pope. Thankfully Luther was whisked away by a wealthy knight and kept hidden form the Pope for a year or so and he lived.
Luther had no idea he was going to be saved, but due to his deep beliefs he refused to bow down even though it seemed obvious that his refusal to give in would have him assassinated/murdered.
A strong conviction of what is right and a disgust and horror at what is wrong causes many people throughout human history to stand up and do so at personal risk, but it is always the right thing to do.
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Moral Courage:
The highest form of courage; the courage that enables a person to hold up to, and stand by, their own convictions, in face of every kind of opposition, whether it take the form of force, abuse, or cold treatment; “the daring to stand alone”. This moral courage is the outcome of mental power and is strong conviction to change wrongs to right.
It is in great perils that we see brave hearts – Regnard.
A brave person may fall, but cannot yield – Martial.
It shows sense and courage to confront unavoidable evil – Goethe.
Heroism is the brilliant triumph of the soul over fear – fear of poverty, of suffering, of calamity, of sickness, of isolation and death… It is the dazzling and glorious concentration of courage – Ariel.
Cowards are cruel, nasty, and cannot be trusted.
Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them.
Deal courageously and the Lord will be with thee good.
The brave thinks of himself last – Schiller.
Place moral heroes in the field, and heroines will follow them as brides – Jean Paul.
– The Preachers Dictionary.
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All the best from James Martin Sandbrook.
December – 2022.