A secret story of 9/11 came out recently. Two fighter pilots are assigned to destroy the last airliner taken over by terrorists before it struck some iconic American target. The pilots had no ammunition on board. So how could they destroy the airliner? Their plan was for one fighter to hit the airliner head on and the other to hit it from behind. Suicide missions! Would they do it? Could emotions be more mixed than theirs? As it turned out, the passengers showed great courage and attacked the terrorists first, with the plane crashing into the countryside, rather than the capitol. That sort of aggressive courage was exactly what the nation needed at the time. Would you sacrifice your life for the wellbeing of your country? For the safety of your family? For freedom for your people? If you are that brave, think about what level of courage you need to accomplish the goals of ordinary life. Then do what needs to be done. As Mark Twain said, “Courage…is mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”
For details of the 9/11 story, see http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/f-16-pilot-was-ready-to-give-her-life-on-sept-11/2011/09/06/gIQAMpcODK_story.html?fb_ref=NetworkNews
John Malouff, PhD, Assoc Prof of Psychology
Hi John,
There is no doubt that the people involved in this story, both the passengers and the pilots, showed amazing courage and I cannot begin to imagine the emotions they must have experienced. The courage of ordinary life may be less dramatic, but would still involve the ability to confront fear and uncertainty. This year I had to make an important decision in the face of opposition and disapproval. I chose what some would consider was the hard path, but for me it was the right path with some people thinking I was foolish and others brave. I prefer the latter, but have mixed emotions, among them fear. Perhaps, and in the words of Ambrose Redmoon “courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear”.
Hi K. I admire courage of all types. When motivated by a heart-felt cause, humans can show amazing courage and self-sacrifice. that is a good quote you give. I had not heard of Ambrose Redmoon before — he has a terrific name.