Is there a type or degree of courage that might be considered bad? I mean, other than a complete lack of courage are there avenues of courage on opposite sides of the scale - good and bad.
DEUTERONOMY 31:6
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."Good" courage as opposed to "bad" courage must be directly related to the purpose of the undertaking. Let me explain; evil contributions aside, characters such as Cain, Napoleon, Al Capone, Hitler, Stalin, etc., are men of great courage but decidedly of the bad kind. These infamous men had to embody great amounts of courage to step where they stepped and do the things which they accomplished. This could be construed as pure sociopathic arrogance as opposed to courage but, by definition, their deeds are in fact acts of great courage, "the ability to do something that frightens one." There is no way that Cain could have murdered his brother and tried to hide the deed from God without overcoming a heap of fear with courage - bad courage.
In terms of us; we are each tempted regularly with choices that illicit fear, I, for instance, on occasion, have an intense desire to physically pummel arrogant men that cross my path. I choose not to lash out physically because I fear the repercussions and the stigma that may effect those I love. However, if I were to overcome that fear and act, could it be described as an act of courage, by definition we have to agree that it could - fear was overcome. This is courage of a bad sort and an easier type of courage to act upon.
Good courage, as noted in the scripture, is of a higher type - overcoming fear of man to act in a celestial manner. To ignore the whisperings of man and attend church or go on a mission, obeying the word of wisdom, refraining from desires that everyone else seems to freely partake, to rise above the crowd and be different - good courage!
Thomas S. Monson said...
It is this sweet assurance [The Lord will not fail us] that can guide you and me-in our time, in our day, in our lives. Of course, we will face fear, experience ridicule, and meet opposition. Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God's approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but also as a determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well.
-The Call for Courage (2004 April General Conference, Priesthood session)Do you have a willingness to "...die manfully." I have overcome many fears in my life and, on several occasions, have done so with bad courage; but, I am faithful and intensely believe that my fear of God far outweighs my concern of man and therefore I lean more often on my good courage. I pray my resolve, in that regard, remains steadfast. I am determined to live decently and act consistently with good courage.
~Kipling
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