12 Comments

I've found barbell training to be the most practical school of courage of the 21st century. Facing your physical limits with heavy squats, presses, and deadlifts multiple times a week builds resolve better than almost anything else.

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Totally.

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CrossFit which does include heavy use of barbells has been a transformational process for me the last few years that has kept me in touch with my internal weaknesses and my internal sense of courage. It can also become very problematic, but so can anything. No panacea and all that. But pushing yourself physically to your limits (wisely) a couple of times a week does a lot for courage and I must say humility (for me at least).

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Oct 6, 2023Liked by Peter N Limberg

Hail all: The comments so far are bringing Courage alive in a new way for me.....ᕙ(`▿´)ᕗ .......so to paraphrase Thucydides quote below: Let us not have our deep caring done by cowards and our championings by fools. ᕙ(`▿´)ᕗ

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errr..."quoted above"

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I'm going to sound like that guy, but I accept. JiuJitsu is great for courage cultivation. Or any martial art really. Vervaeke is obviously a proponent. It's not just a tough guy thing, the best people are under control, and want to bring you into that process of transformation. Many lessons to learn in that unabstract world for someone like me who likes the abstract. It's been very valuable for me. Worth considering!

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Agreed. I recalled Conor McGregor saying he was drawn to fighting because it helped him be in relationship with his emotions. Also related this quote: "The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools." Time to get philosophers to start fighting, and fighters to start philosophizing.

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for men specifically, any combative games are like opening the giant questionmark door in the back of your head

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Oct 5, 2023Liked by Peter N Limberg

I need courage more than anything at the moment, to change the things I can change... Nice reminder. Appreciated.

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There is also, no risk no reward, which is just another way of stating the importance of courage.

It is good to hear talk about virtues. Most of the conversation out in the world is just various forms of vice.

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Time to change that.

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My choice of courage in my work occurred again this morning. A determination of that act as wise or foolish will now be made, in the first instance, by those up the chain in providing us with justice. It has taken many decades for me to set aside my inclination to intemperance and become a protege of justice herself.

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