How far can you travel along the road to success without courage?
I refer not to the physical courage, but to the rarer phenomenon of moral courage.
This quality has nothing to do with mere stubbornness,
which is almost a type of cowardice. Many weaknesses derive from an attitude of stubbornness. For this attitude of mind, stupidity is a better word than stubbornness, and definitely better one than courage.
On the other hand,
cowardice can also be a readiness for compromise. To the compromising mind, the certainty of half a loaf is always better than the probability of a whole one. You need to avoid the rigidity of a standpoint that stamps mule on your forehead. The mind must be receptive and elastic.
You may exclaim, “In the same breath you are giving me conflicting signals about rigidity and pliability!”
It is the old question: How can you combine firmness with adaptability to the circumstances? There is no answer except that the two qualities must run concurrently in the mind. One must be responsive to the circumstances and yet faithful to one’s own instincts.
The flexible and firm mind will best grapple with unusual circumstances; then it will invent ways to face each new phase of the situation.
So what does all this translate into?
Firmness that is not obstinacy, health that is not a fad, adaptability that is not weakness, enterprise that is not rashness — these are the qualities that will preserve you in difficult times, when the chips are down and you are up against the wall. Think about it!
