Faking Bravery

They all tell you...

To be Brave. 

To be confident.

To be courageous. 

But what do all those things mean? 

Do they all exist?

Do they have value? 

Are they useful? 

What does it mean to be brave and all those other "things"? 

Bravery implies that you are willing to stand up against adversity, fear and discomfort. Bravery instills a sense of self confidence that is resilient to external factors in the real world. What makes us want to be brave?  How can we be brave and resilient to fear? 

Is bravery manufactured? 

Is bravery deceptive? 

Guy: Just be Brave! 

Girl: How can I be brave? 

Guy: You just do it? 

Girl: Well, I can try. 

Guy: No, no do not try, do. 

Girl: I will be brave even if I am not. 

If you think you are not brave, but you want to be brave, what is stopping you from pretending to be brave? Does pretending to be brave legitimize bravery? 

Bravery is a mask you wear. It is an expression of human will and desire. You are trying to manufacture a mindset that will help you cope with something external or even internal. You are disciplining your mind in order to accomplish or simply endure a task or event. Bravery is derived from the mind and "of the mind". Does bravery deceive your authentic self? 

When you want to be brave, you are fitting yourself to a rigid mindset that does not allow for openness and introspection. You are putting up a wall that moves. A wall that you think moves forward, but it stays at the same places. The bravery wall is designed to resist and reflect competing thoughts or events. 

One could see bravery as a shield. 

Bravery takes the same concept as fake it till you make it. If you try to be brave, if you fake being brave, you will appear brave. Bravey is the willingness to become something that you are not. It is the resistance to insecurity and discontent. It is the opposite of trying to diagnose internal problems. That being said, when one recognizes bravery as an ego identifier, one can truly see how hey want to be perceived.

If you pretend to smile, it gives the idea that you are happy and content. Bravery is much like the smile. Simply telling yourself to "Be Brave" is being brave itself. Bravery may last only for a small moment and vanish when the mind returns back to a cycle of compulsive thought. Bravery starts in the mind and perpetuates the illusion of bravery and masking identity. 

So why try to be brave? 

Is there a real reason to or is it counter intuitive? 

Self knowledge and awareness are the most important part of growth within person. The label of "bravery" is a by product of understanding and discontent. Bravery becomes unnecessary when you are present of your self and not resisting your internal atmosphere and moods. 

Understanding Bravery: 

" I am feeling discomfort and discontent. I am aware of these feelings and choose not to resist them, but to recognize them instead. I understand that trying to force a certain state, whether it be confidence or bravery, is trying to escape the present moment. What I resist will persist and trying to be brave is strengthening of the ego and false sense of self." 

One does not "need" to be "brave". One only needs to "be". Anything that comes after "be" is an ego identifier. Bravery is just a labeled feeling and mask. 

Presence is key. 

All other states of beings are a way for us to learn about our own humanity and growth. 

Awareness! 

DG