Readers Ponder How to Acquire Courage and Overcome Fear
A long-running series invites readers to share their thoughts on a philosophical question, this week focusing on the nature of courage and how to overcome fear.
15 Feb, 14:00 — 16 Feb, 05:26
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MJ’s Motivation: “Build confidence on your worst days” – February 15, 2026
You want confidence? I challenge you: Build it on your worst days, not your best. Most people probably know the story of Michael Jordan’s “flu game.” Sick as a dog in game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Jordan dropped 38 points playing 44 of the 48 minutes and lifting his Chicago Bulls to victory. […]
Read at source →Readers reply: can you acquire courage?
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions ponders how to overcome fear and do what is needed This week’s question: what would be the most socially useful way to spend a billion dollars? Is it possible to acquire courage if you don’t have it? I was moved by the recent story of the Australian boy who swam to land for several hours in rough waters to raise the alarm that his mother and siblings had been swept out to sea. Despite his exhaustion, he then ran several kilometres to find a phone. But I’m also thinking of the lesser demands for courage – such as standing up to a friend, or family member, or tackling a company that’s ignoring your polite requests when you’re suffering from its actions. Or I also wonder how people do certain jobs that, to me, require buckets of courage: starting a business or any other sort of professional risk-taking; reporting from a war zone like Lyse Doucet or Jeremy Bowen. Or just being a police officer knocking on the door of a suspect and not knowing what is on the other side. Continue reading...
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