"Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence." -Robert Kennedy, Former U.S. Attorney General and Senator, Robert Kennedy books//
Are you a morally courageous person? I'm not talking about being a 'holy roller' or acting morally superior; instead, I'm wondering how often you have the courage to stick by your beliefs or convictions, especially when they may not be popular. The peer pressure to go along with the crowd is often more than one can bear. Think about the challenges you faced as a teenager with regard to being popular (or not); the temptation to contribute to the rumor mill or gossip chain at work; and, the opportunities to advance yourself in life at the expense of others. Most people know that succumbing to these behaviors is a direct violation of their morals, but they often do it anyway. Kennedy accurately points out that "moral courage" is a rare thing to find. Even the smartest and bravest people you know are likely to abandon their beliefs in certain situations. Moral courage is hard because it conflicts with our desire to be accepted by others. The question to ask yourself, though, is whether it is better to be liked or to be respected? People admire and respect moral courage, as long as you don't make them feel inferior or judged. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter how others feel about your actions because, in the long run, your own guilty conscience will be harder to live with than the loss of popularity. A positive self-image is greatly enhanced by choosing to stick by your convictions and lead a morally courageous life.
Related Posts:
You Are a History Maker
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Are You Morally Courageous?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Your post reminds me that there can be more than one level of moral courage that ends up being required of us. What you describe sounds like the sort of thing that one typically faces early in life.
My current posts are on the kind of situations that one is more likely to encounter later in life and that require another form of moral courage.
Paul,
I couldn't agree more that the kinds of moral courage people encounter changes and evolves as they progress through the different experiences and stages of life. The challenge for a teenager is much different from a young adult, which is also much different from someone middle-aged or retired. I'll check out your posts. Thanks for commenting.
Many people are afraid to stand for morality because they fear man's ridicule and rejection. They love man's opinion, while guilt eats away at their inner being.
It is better to stand for truth, alone, than be in the accompany of others who adhere to relativism; the stripping away of one's conscience is the most lonely feeling of all.
Thanks Globalgirl. Your comment reminds me that it is more important to like yourself, than to be liked by others. How can you like yourself if you don't stick by your convictions? Great comment!
Thank you for your valuable contribution to the latest edition of the Living by Design's Personal Development Blog Carnival. Your post has been included and posted here:
http://ananga.squarespace.com/ananga-living-by-design-blog/2008/3/16/living-by-design-blog-carnival-no-22.html
with best wishes
Ananga
Post a Comment