They are new transfer students this month, they are from other cultures or subcultures, or they are struggling academically, not sure they should be back in school. The virtue of compassion is surely a calling of our community. Courage To be civil or to be compassionate often requires courage. From Mel Gibson or Arnold Schwarznegger, we are tempted to suppose courage is the strength to stand without fear in the face of overwhelming odds. But that is doubly wrong.
Courage is the strength to choose in spite of fear.
In fact, without fear, there can be no courage. And neither is courage always just to stand firm. In the face of overwhelming odds, the courageous choice, as Aristotle was quick to point out, may very well be to flee. Mel Gibson never seems to grasp this and proves over and over that some people confuse insanity with courage. So courage again is not a particular behavior.