We become courageous by performing acts of courage

Aristotle taught that we become courageous by performing acts of courage, just as we become builders by building. Virtue, he said, is not something we merely know about but something we practice until it becomes part of our nature.

We become just by the practice of just actions, selfcontrolled by exercising self-control, and courageous by performing acts of courage. - Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book II, Chapter 1 (1103a 31-b 2)

Courage is the mastery of fear

For the Stoics, courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of it. Fear is natural, but what matters is how we respond to it. Stoic courage calls us to face difficulty and act rightly, even when the outcome is uncertain or uncomfortable. It is the strength to uphold integrity, to persevere through adversity, and to do what is good and just––especially when it is difficult.

I learned this kind of courage from my father, a man who had little formal education but an abundance of practical wisdom. He taught me that courage is not fixed or inherited; it is shaped by our habits, choices, and daily deeds. His life on the farm demanded that he meet hardship with steadiness, not defiance.

Marcus Aurelius captured this spirit perfectly when he wrote:

“Not to assume it’s impossible because you find it hard. But to recognize that if it’s humanly possible, you can do it too.” - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.19

My father’s courage was quiet and enduring. He faced the unpredictability of weather, the threat of crop failure, and the strain of long days with uncomplaining resolve. When the storms came, he did not curse the sky—he checked the fields, looked at the fences, tended to the animals, repaired what was broken, and rose again before dawn to begin anew. He did what was within his control and accepted what was not. I think that this is the essence of Stoic courage: the decision to act rightly in the face of things we cannot change.

The farmer’s life has often been used to offer a perfect metaphor for Stoic endurance. A life tied to the land teaches acceptance. The sun scorches, the frost bites, the pests return, and yet the farmer persists, cultivating hope as surely as crops. Each season tests courage—not as a single act of bravery, but as a continuous practice of perseverance. Through repetition and labour, the farmer learns that courage grows quietly, like roots beneath the soil, unseen but essential.

Training in courage before the crisis arrives

Seneca advised that courage must be trained before the moment of crisis arrives.

If you would not have a man flinch when the crisis comes, train him before it comes. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 2.6

My father did exactly that. His training was not in a classroom but in the field— working tirelessly in the bitter cold Wisconsin winters, harvesting after a loss, starting again when others might give up. His example showed that courage is not about grand gestures or public recognition; it is about showing up, again and again, with patience and resolve. He embodied practical wisdom: knowing what must be done and doing it with steadiness of mind.

“Difficulties are the things that show what men are.” - Epictetus, Discourses, I.24.1

The true Stoic meets hardship as an athlete meets a contest, not with resentment but with readiness. The farmer who endures loss, hardship, and uncertainty without complaint lives this teaching daily. Each challenge becomes a test of character, and each test an opportunity to strengthen virtue.

Courage is not reckless or loud

The Stoic person––again, like the farmer–– learns that courage is not reckless or loud. It is calm, disciplined, and rooted in service to what is right. To rise early in all conditions, to work through pain, to keep faith when results are uncertain––these are acts of courage. Each time we act despite fear, we strengthen the habit of endurance. Each time we persist in integrity, we cultivate the moral soil from which true courage grows.

Like my father, we can all learn to meet life’s hardships with quiet strength and humility. Courage is not about eliminating fear but acting rightly in spite of it––whether in the fields, the workplace, or the heart. The most enduring courage is not the kind that seeks a spotlight but the kind that endures without applause, guided by principle and steadied by wisdom. It is this quiet, consistent bravery that allows the farmer, the philosopher––or anyone who chooses to practice it––to live well and approach difficulties with a steady peace of mind.

Shirley Kwosek Sciacca is a writer, living in the midwest, seeking wisdom and resilience through lifelong learning and the practice of Stoic principles.

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