Can Courage Be Acquired?
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts continues with this week's focus.
This week’s replies explore why a song sometimes gets stuck in our heads and what causes an earworm.
One reader asks: Is it possible to acquire courage if you don’t have it? I was deeply moved this week by the story of Austin Appelbee, 13, who swam for several hours in rough seas to raise the alarm after his mother and siblings were swept out to sea off the Australian coast in January. Despite his exhaustion, he then ran several kilometres to find a phone.
But I’m also reflecting on the smaller demands for courage – such as standing up to a friend or family member, or confronting a company that ignores your polite requests when you are suffering from its actions. I also wonder how people manage certain professions that, to me, require immense courage: starting a business or engaging in professional risk-taking; reporting from war zones like Lyse Doucet or Jeremy Bowen; or simply being a police officer knocking on a suspect’s door without knowing what might come from the other side.
What brings courage in all these situations, and if you don’t have it, can you develop it? Sam, Exeter, Devon
Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@the.com. A selection will be published next Sunday.
