Acts of Physical Courage

Successful or not, acts of physical courage always bring honor. It is the much smaller forms of valor, standing up for principle at the risk of social disapproval, economic loss or injury to career that require the greatest moral will power. There is little upside to winning and a significant and often lasting downside to losing. — Michael Josephson

Never Be Fearful

You must never be fearful about what you’re doing when it is right. – Rosa Parks Moral harm comes to you moral compromise than moral courage.   The voice of moral courage is also our critical companion during troubling times; it provides us with the strength to cope with and overcome adversity and persevere when we want to quit or …

WORTH READING: The Moral Bucket List

by David Brooks When you meet someone that truly inspires you and you deeply admire, many people may wonder how this individual became such an upstanding person. David Brooks, an author for the The New York Times, wondered this same thing when he came across people in his life that radiated goodness, gratitude and virtue. Brooks came to the conclusion that …

OBSERVATION: Courage and Integrity in Politics — Understanding that “politics is the art of the possible” is not an invitation to subordinate principles to expediency, but a reflection of the moral wisdom that the highest principle in government is to make things better.” -Michael Josephson

President Kennedy,  in Profiles in Courage, said, “A man does what he must — in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures — and that is the basis of all human morality.” For a leader, doing what must be done is more than risking or sacrificing one’s life. The harder and rarer form of courage is …

WORTH READING: Political Courage and Integrity – Profiles in Courage

In 1956, Profiles in Courage, written by John F. Kennedy, the junior senator from Massachusetts. was published. The book won the Pulitzer prize for biography. There is substantial controversy as to whether Senator Kennedy, who was elected President in 1960, was the true and sole author of the book and the circumstances surrounding the winning of the Pulitzer Prize. I address …

COMMENTARY: Moral Courage – The Engine of Integrity 751.3

Mignon McLaughlin tells us, “People are made of flesh and blood and a miracle fiber called courage.” Courage comes in two forms: physical courage and moral courage. Physical courage is demonstrated by acts of bravery where personal harm is risked to protect others or preserve cherished principles. It’s the kind of courage that wins medals and monuments.Moral courage may seem less …