Courage and The Man in the Arena
It was a clear and beautiful sunny Tuesday morning; firefighters from Battalion 1 from the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) were wrapping up a possible gas leak in the area of Church Street and Lispenard Street in downtown Manhattan. As he was entering his command vehicle Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer heard the unusual noise of an aircraft above. He looked up and saw the low-flying Boeing 767, loaded with about 20,000 gallons of jet fuel, turn toward the World Trade Center. He watched in horror as the passenger airliner slammed into the North Tower. It was 8:46 AM on September 11, 2001. A second Boeing 767 would be flown into the South Tower seventeen minutes later.
Through training and experience, Chief Pfeifer and his firefighters knew what to do. As they raced to the scene, they “geared up,” requested additional resources, and prepared to run into the burning Skyscraper.
While it will never really be known how many Firefighters, Police Officers, or Medics entered the burning buildings. It is known that 343 New York City Firefighters and Paramedics, 37 Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Officers, and 23 New York City Police Officers gave their lives while evacuating the buildings and saving the lives of others.
It takes incredible courage to go into burning buildings, run toward gunshots, or put oneself in danger. But, as First Responders, that’s what we do; that’s what we “signed up for.”
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV
While the basic definition of courage is the ability to do something that frightens one or the mental or moral fortitude to risk, persevere, and persevere in the face of danger, fear, or difficulty. In his blog “Inspired by Courage,” Jeremy Stalnecker describes true courage as:
“An act taken alone with full knowledge that the consequences of that act may be detrimental to one’s physical well-being, livelihood, or acceptance by family and peers for a purpose bigger than themselves. Although individuals can act courageously in a group, for something to be truly courageous, the potential negative consequences must be individual.”
The Greek philosopher Aristotle stated courage is the first of all virtues, the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees the others. It is a virtue that is not practiced much these days.
Unlike other traits, courage stays quietly in the background, only coming forward when the situation demands it. It comes from the Latin word “cor,” which means “heart.” Courage makes us look deep into our souls, be uncomfortable, and make heartfelt decisions. It all comes down to our inner selves, our hearts, and our courage to confront our fears.
Although courage and confidence are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a significant distinction between the two. Courage manifests in transitory periods, whereas confidence is more lasting. When you’re sprinting toward gunfire or into a burning building, you know the dangers, you’re terrified for your life and the lives of others, but you do it anyway. Being courageous doesn’t eliminate fear; it manages it. Self-sacrifice is required for courage. It involves taking the risk of failing.
Courage is not all about dangerous situations; it also has to do with morality. Admitting when you’ve made a mistake, being honest, and doing what you know is right takes courage. We live in a society with low moral standards; trading ethics for fame, money, and pleasure. It takes courage to stand above all the others.
Biblical courage is the ability to take courageous actions when heart-driven. Contrarily, the Bible teaches what motivates the heart to act courageously. These reasons are categorized as either good or bad in the Bible.
Good courage always depends on the supernatural power of God to encourage and motivate believers to be courageous as God’s children (Romans 5:3-5). Bad courage is based on human abilities and motivations, such as the voice of the world, the voice of the flesh, and the voice of the devil (James 1:19-27; 1 John 2:15-16).
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:15-16 KJV
Being the foundation of leadership, courage determines whether a leader will put leadership skills into effective use. Courageous leaders risk going against the grain, making decisions with the potential change, and inspiring their team.
Leaders in the First Responder occupations must have the intestinal fortitude to fight against the cancerous political correctness eroding public safety. Less-courageous leaders are sacrificing their subordinates’ careers to prolong or bolster their careers.
While “cancel culture” and “wokeness” may be new terms, the ideology of being critical and cynical of others goes back to the beginning of times. Keyboard Commandos, people who have no clue, are the driving force of the cancel culture attack on the courageous.
In her book “courage in the face of evil,” Maya Angelou wrote,
“There is nothing quite so tragic as a young cynic, because it means the person has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.”
Theodore Roosevelt was a very courageous man; having been bullied and experiencing medical issues as a child, he faced those fears and overcame them. He showed great courage and leadership in The Battle of San Juan Heights during the Spanish-American War, actions which he was Posthumously Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was courageous during his many expeditions and as the 26th President of the United States.
In an April 23, 1910, speech in Paris, France, President Theodore Roosevelt said:
“The poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer. There are many men who feel a kind of twisted pride in cynicism; there are many who confine themselves to criticism of the way others do what they themselves dare not even attempt. There is no more unhealthy being, no man less worthy of respect, than he who either really holds, or feigns to hold, an attitude of sneering disbelief toward all that is great and lofty, whether in achievement or in that noble effort which, even if it fails, comes to second achievement.”
Courage, according to Roosevelt, was the attribute that enabled men to persevere in their pursuits. Roosevelt believed that actions rather than successes should judge a person. The procedure was all that mattered. Courage, according to Roosevelt, was the characteristic that allowed men to persevere in their efforts.
In the same speech, titled “Citizenship in a Republic” but known by “The Man in the Arena,” President Roosevelt stated:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat… The man who does nothing cuts the same sordid figure in the pages of history, whether he be a cynic, or fop, or voluptuary. There is little use for the being whose tepid soul knows nothing of great and generous emotion, of the high pride, the stern belief, the lofty enthusiasm, of the men who quell the storm and ride the thunder.”
It’s a lot easier to sit on the sidelines and watch. Those who dare to enter the arena are mocked and laughed at. This, on the other hand, has no meaning or purpose. A statue of a critic has never been erected in their honor. You have to show up and be exposed if you want to win.
In his testimony to the 9/11 commission, FDNY Division Chief for Lower Manhattan, Peter Hayden, stated, “We had a very strong sense we would lose firefighters and that we were in deep trouble.” But those heroes still went in.
“Courage is not having the strength to go on;
it is going on when you don’t have the strength.”
― Teddy Roosevelt
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