Attack and Endure

The Virtue of Fortitude is to do the right thing even when we don’t want to. I think John Wayne captures the essence of Fortitude:

Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.

All the virtues lie between two extremes of vice. Fortitude is the balance between being a coward or reckless.  

Cowardice is the vice of refusing to take a prudent risk or make a prudent sacrifice because of fear. It’s the abandonment of the greater good due to the fear of losing a lesser good.

The coward is so concerned with total self-preservation that he becomes crippled in relation to the world; the world presents itself not as an opportunity for attaining goods, but rather as a collection of personal threats. Such a person is incapable of taking advantage of the joy and happiness of life.

The Second vice against Courage is excessive daring or recklessness. To be reckless is the vice of lacking a proper awareness of or concern for real danger. A brash man, an excessively bold man, foolishly charges into dangers and difficulties that could have been avoided. He’s the one who enjoys risk for its own sake. But there’s nothing virtuous about needlessly courting danger; such an attitude is foolhardy, not brave.

The virtue of fortitude helps steer a middle course, as it helps overcome fear and yet restrains excessive boldness.