"What is courage?"
Haru said absently. The three were on the rooftop.
"An interesting question," Simon answered. "The definition differs by culture."
"How different?"
"In the West, courage is one of the virtues. Included in Aristotle's 'four cardinal virtues.'"
Ren supplemented. "The middle ground between cowardice and recklessness. Balance of appropriate fear and appropriate action."
"Not feeling fear is not courage?" Haru was surprised.
"That is recklessness," Simon said. "True courage is acting despite fear."
"Within fear?"
"Yes. Plato also said, 'Courage is the wisdom to distinguish what should be feared from what should not.'"
Ren continued. "Meaning, judge what to fear, and still act."
Haru thought. "So someone who fears nothing is not brave?"
"Socrates would answer so," Simon smiled.
"But," Haru objected, "acting while afraid, is not that contradictory?"
"Not contradiction," Ren explained. "Emotion and will are separate."
"Emotion? Will?"
"Fear is emotion. Action is will. When will transcends emotion, courage is born."
Simon gave an example. "You see someone drowning. Scared. But jump in. That is courage."
"Not jumping in is?"
"Not necessarily cowardice. If you cannot swim, jumping is reckless."
Haru began to understand. "Judge the situation and act within capability."
"Yes. Kant said, 'Courage should be guided by reason.'"
Ren supplemented. "Not emotional impulse, but action based on moral judgment."
"So hitting someone in anger is not courage?"
"No," Simon answered immediately. "That is emotional eruption."
"When is courage born?" Haru hit the core.
Ren thought seriously. "I think at the moment of choice."
"Choice?"
"Two paths exist. The safe path and the dangerous but right path. The moment of choosing the latter."
Simon nodded. "Kierkegaard said, 'When choosing in anxiety, one is truly free.'"
"Anxiety and courage are connected?"
"Two sides of the same coin," Simon looked at the sky. "Without anxiety, choice has no meaning."
Haru wrote in her notebook. "Courage = fear + will + choice."
"Good formula," Ren acknowledged. "But there is one more element."
"What?"
"Purpose. Why take that action?"
Simon gave an example. "Is doing dangerous things for self-display courage?"
"...Feels different," Haru answered.
"Aristotle said courage must be 'for the good.'"
"Good?"
"For one's own or others' happiness. That is true courage."
Haru pondered. "So standing up to protect someone is?"
"That is courage," Ren declared. "There is fear, choice, and good purpose."
"But," Haru said quietly, "I often cannot do anything because of fear."
Simon said gently. "That is normal. No one can always be brave."
"Courage is momentary?"
"Could say that," Ren answered. "No need to be brave daily."
"When necessary?"
"Yes. Hannah Arendt said 'Courage is political action.'"
Haru was surprised. "Political?"
"Expressing one's beliefs in public space. That is courage."
"Are there small courages?"
Simon smiled. "Of course. Courage to admit mistakes, courage to ask for help, courage to be yourself."
"Everyday courage."
"Those are also proper courage," Ren nodded. "In the sense of going against social pressure."
Haru stood up. "Then I will try courage now."
"What?"
"Something I could not say. Ask the teacher a question. About what I did not understand in class."
The two laughed.
"That is courage," Simon said. "Courage to admit ignorance, courage to learn."
"Scared, but will try."
Ren said seriously. "At that moment, you are brave."
Haru went down the stairs. Heart pounding. But feet moving forward.
Courage is not the absence of fear. It is one step within fear.
That step changes the world.
Little by little.