This research dives into a psychological "blind spot" in how we define courage. While we often think of courage as the act of facing fear, this paper suggests that our brains are biased toward .
An interesting academic paper to explore is (2010), published in the Journal of Positive Psychology . Why it’s interesting
If you are interested in different angles of courage, consider these: Courageous
: The study found that people overwhelmingly describe courageous acts as having a successful result. When an action ends in failure, people are significantly less likely to label it as "courageous," even if the risk and fear involved were identical.
( ResearchGate ): A study on how "courageous followers"—those who speak up against unethical practices or challenge leaders for the good of the organization—are actually the secret to effective leadership. This research dives into a psychological "blind spot"
Are courageous actions successful actions? - Taylor & Francis
: It argues that "success" is an unarticulated part of our mental definition of courage. We rarely call a failed attempt "courageous"; instead, we might view it as reckless or foolish. Other Notable Papers Why it’s interesting If you are interested in
( ResearchGate ): Explores how people use "courageous behavior" in the workplace to reconcile tensions between who they are and how they want to be seen by others.