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Old 09-28-2005, 10:55 PM   #12 (permalink)
Uke
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: NY
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I think that courage is nothing more than a reacting to a personal value system in a disadvantageous situation. Think about it. Courage is standing up for something in a situation where you either stand to lose face, money or get your @ss kicked. It wouldn't take courage if you didn't stand to lose something. So I guess it depends on what means something to you. Most people wouldn't have to learn courage to stand up for their children, while many people lack the courage to think independently and challenge any knowledge that they receive for fear of being ousted from their peers.

IMO, a better question would be can you be trained to tell the difference between courage and overconfidence. Courage is born out of necessity, while overconfidence is born out of inexperience and underexposure. Most people who go into a situation overconfident don't prepare for contingencies, which means that they really aren't prepared, just equipped to deal with one part of a situation.

So learning the extent that you're prepared will give you a good idea of what you need to strengthen, which will add to the confidence in your own abilities. This will also add confidence in that you will feel like you have a safety net because you did your homework.

The difference is like using Cliff notes to study for a test and failing because the teacher purposely patterned the test to stump those who used Cliff notes. If something is important enough, don't take shortcuts. That way you know that your confidence is based on being well versed and rounded, and not just on having a "kick-@ss" attitude.
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