Why Courage Matters

I just finished reading "Why Courage Matters: The way to a braver life" by John McCain. Regardless of your political views or what you think of him as a person, I think this is a great read for everyone. It's quick and full of stories that are interesting and inspiring. McCain admits that while he doesn't really consider himself to be a person of extraordinary courage, he has known many who are. So, he doesn't share why he is a great man, he shares why other men and women are.

McCain writes:

"We're all afraid of something. Some have more fears than
others. The one we must all guard against is the fear of ourselves. Don't
let the sensation of fear convince you that you're too weak to have
courage. Fear is the opportunity for courage, not proof of
cowardice. No one is born a coward. We were meant to love. And
we were meant to have courage for it. So be brave. The rest is
easy."

We discussed this quote in the Freshman Seminar class I'm teaching and had
some good discussion about fear. We're all afraid of something on the surface - snakes, spiders, the dark - but it's the fear of what's inside, fear of ourselves that has the tightest grip on our lives.