The courage to stay in the moment

In 1934, James Strachey wrote that the active ingredient of psychoanalysis was the mutative interpretation. Even at this early date, Strachey observed that a relatively small proportion of the analytic literature was concerned with the mechanisms for change implicit in the analytic model.

In this paper, the author proposes two modifications of Strachey's ideas. One is that it is a moment, an event, and not an interpretation as such that creates change. The author terms this the ‘mutative moment’. The other modification is the proposal of an unconscious internal group matrix as an image of the structure of self. This is a self that is at one and the same time, internal and external, individual and social.

Building upon Freud, the object relations theorists, Kohut and the work of group analysts, the author pinpoints where and how change occurs in both individuals and in groups. The active ingredient of change is the focus on the here-and-now, a perspective common to both therapists and counsellors. As an understanding of the meaning of this focus develops, it becomes apparent that it takes courage to stay in the moment.     

The courage of the group therapist

This report strives to legitimize for the field of psychodynamic group therapy the reflection on and study of courage. The authors surveyed group therapy leaders, asking them to describe courageous moments in their own group practice, and then explored the common themes arising in these examples, including openly confronting their mistakes, facing their own and group members' anger, and dealing with unexpected moments in group sessions. Attending to courageous leader moments-and the feelings of hope and pride that they engender-help to neutralize the negative emotions that group leaders are constantly invited to contain. Paradoxically, accessing courageous moments can also evoke feelings of shame in the leader. If we are to require ourselves to embrace the sometimes terrifying challenge of journeying into the unknown with our patients, we must learn to be honest not just about our mistakes and our weaknesses, but also about our successes and our strengths.     

The need of courage

A brave man leaveth not the battle, He who flieth from it is no true warrior, In the field of this body a great war is toward Against Passion, Hunger, Pride and Greed, It is for the Kingdom of Truth, of Contentment and of Purity that this battle is raging: And the sword that ringeth most loudly is the sword Of His name.

—KABIR, Hindu Poet

     

The left side of courage: Three exploratory studies on the antecedents of social courage

Abstract

Courage has been linked to important workplace outcomes, but little is known about the antecedents of courage. To identify possible methods to develop a more courageous workforce, the current article provides initial evidence regarding the antecedents of behavioral social courage from five broad categories: personality, job characteristics, leadership, culture, and demographic characteristics. Three exploratory studies show that certain antecedents from these categories have a significant relationship with behavioral social courage, including grit, proactive personality (personality), social support (job characteristics), empowering leadership (leadership), power distance (culture), and age (demographics). Perceived courage benefits and risks did not mediate the effect of most antecedents on behavioral social courage. These results suggest that certain antecedents may influence behavioral social courage, but the mediators of these relationships remain unknown. Further implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Fearlessness and courage in paratroopers undergoing training

105 recruits to the Parachute Regiment were studied during parachute training. From information given regarding their expectancies and experiences of jumping, three profiles were identified. These were labelled “Courageous”, “Fearless” and “Over-confident”. Two-thirds of the sample belonged to the first category and less than 10% to the last. A number of bodily reactions were frequently associated with anxiety during parachute jumping. These reactions were similar to those reported by veteran soldiers and airmen during combat. They differ from reactions reported by patients suffering from ‘clinical anxiety’, and it is suggested that this contrast might reflect differences in preparation for “fight” or “flight”.     

Cognitions and courage in the avoidance behavior of acrophobics.

Fifty subjects (29 fearless and 21 fearful) were tested in a potentially acrophobia-inducing situation, and their avoidance behavior and self-reported fear were noted. Subjects also completed various scales intended to measure their fearfulness and thoughts in hypothetical height-phobic, social-phobic and nonphobic situations. Interviews conducted immediately after the behavioral test, evaluated their thinking, fearfulness and tactics designed to deal with any fear they experienced. Analyses indicated that catastrophic thinking is more evident than irrational thinking in height situations and that such thinking was the best predictor of behavior among the measures used. The results are discussed in terms of their relevance for cognitive views of acrophobia and in terms of their relevance for treatment.     

An exploration of courage in Chinese individuals

Definitional studies of courage have been performed by Western psychologists, but little research has examined Chinese folk courage. Two studies examined conceptions of courage in Chinese culture. In Study 1, the definitions, forms, inner traits, and reactions of courage were described by 307 individuals in China. A content analysis revealed that courage was divided into two forms: individually oriented and socially oriented; and the virtue was composed of persistence, responsibility, and breakthrough. Study 2 conducted in-depth interviews with 27 Chinese participants to explore the nature of courage further. The results suggested similar components; anger, self-confidence, support network, and social atmosphere were most likely to inspire courage; and trying something difficult was the most frequently experienced courageous event. Collectively, persistence and breakthrough were common components of both the current studies and the existing Western literature on courage, while responsibility may be more uniquely Chinese. Implications for prospective training programs are discussed.     

Blended courage: Moral and psychological courage elements in mental health treatment seeking by active duty military personnel

We propose that seeking mental health care in an environment with heightened stigma may combine elements of both psychological and moral courage. Interviews of 32 active duty US Army personnel about their process of seeking current mental health care were analyzed for themes of voluntary action, personal risk, and noble or worthwhile goals (benefits). Risks and benefits were divided into internal risks and benefits, characteristic of psychological courage; and external risks and benefits, characteristic of moral courage. Concerns about external risks were themes in all narratives, while concerns about internal risks were themes in only about half of narratives. Both internal and external benefits of treatment were themes in approximately three-quarters of the narratives, whereas doubts about internal (but not external) benefits were also expressed at a similar rate. Thus, participants described an act of blended courage, with social risks of moral courage taken for wellness goals of psychological courage.     

Catching the wrong leopard: courage and masochism in the psychoanalytic situation

This paper introduces the subject of courage into the psychoanalytic discourse about masochism and also demonstrates that ordinary ethical and axiological concerns can and should be included in our psychoanalytic language and practice. At each stage of a psychoanalysis, it may be helpful to consider whether the patient's experience might be that taking a step deeper into the psychoanalytic relationship is both courageous and masochistic. This consideration can open the door to exploration of conscious beliefs and how they are related to unconscious fantasies and assumptions. Considering the possibility that even a sadomasochistic enactment may simultaneously represent a courageous attempt to rework conflict or trauma can enrich the way analysts listen to both manifest and latent material.     

How Tillich and Kohut both find courage in faith

Courage has long been considered an important virtue, but throughout most of history its prime location was the battlefield. The chief exemplars of courage were warriors. Theologian Paul Tillich and psychologist Heinz Kohut have both written about courage, and each in his own way contributes to a new and broader understanding of courage, making it more applicable to the battlefields of everyday life. Specifically, they explain why courage is needed to fight emotional and spiritual dangers— and why religious faith vitalizes the self to overcome those dangers. Although the ideas of Tillich and Kohut on courage have been critiqued separately, this essay is the first attempt to integrate the two writers' theories. As psychologists and theologians look for intersections between their disciplines, this case study on courage shows how two prominent representatives in their fields are more compatible than people may realize.     

Towards an empirical definition of courage

Receiving attribution of courage or bravery is important to most of us. Three possible modes of attribution are outlined, two of which are taken to be naive (i.e., attributing bravery if one is afraid oneself or identifying bravery with fearlessness), only one is taken as sophisticated i.e., bravery as a result of approach by a fearful person. Inferences about the use of these modes are made on the basis of correlational patterns in the data of adolescent subjects who watched snake-handling by a filmed actor/actress. Subjects rated themselves for hypothetical fear (if they had had to handle the snake): in addition they rated the handler on fear or bravery. Results suggested an increasing use of the sophisticated mode of attribution with increasing age. Clear use of the sophisticated mode however was not demonstrated in the case of attributing to female actresses. Possible interpretations of this sex of attributee effect are taken up in the Discussion.     

Philosophy as a kind of courage

It is possible to reveal and to examine the collective and social fields of consciousness experimentally. An account is given of planned experiments based on quantitative calculations, which indicate that the effects of individual and collective fields of consciousness on matter may elicit directly observable physical results. Moreover, it is shown that collective coherent consciousness fields may enhance the physical effects of consciousness at a significant rate. The predicted results have a significance in our picture of our consciousness, in self‐assertion and dynamising of consciousness, the expansion of collective fields of consciousness, and thus the raising of the level of consciousness for humanity.     

Fearlessness and courage: A replication experiment

An attempt was made to replicate the finding that decorated bomb-disposal operators show lower cardiac activity under stress than do comparable but non-decorated operators. The performance under stress of three groups of soldiers (decorated operators, non-decorated operators, less experienced soldiers) was assessed by behavioural, psychophysiological, and subjective measures. The original result, showing lower cardiac activity under stress among decorated operators, was reproduced. With minor exceptions, no group differences in behavioural performance or in subjective activity were found. The results strengthen the view that it is possible to identify physiological indices of fearlessness.     

Modelling courage: The role of dissent in fostering independence

While dissent has been construed in terms of social support and informational influence, this paper hypothesizes that exposure to dissenting minority views, even when they are wrong, stimulates resistance to conformity and increased adherence to one's own views. In this study, individuals in groups of four judged the colour of a series of blue stimuli and were exposed to one individual who consistently judged the stimuli to be ‘green: inconsistently judged them to be 'green' or expressed no dissent. In a subsequent setting, when judging a series of red slides; subjects were exposed to a majority who repeatedly judged them as 'orange’. Exposure to dissent, whether it was consistent or inconsistent, substantially reduced the level of conformity. In fact, exposure to the consistent dissent led to almost complete independence.     

Hardiness: The courage to grow from stresses

The recent emphasis on positive psychology is welcome, and has spurred much relevant research. But, there are still many unresolved conceptual and research issues, as more variables are being proposed as relevant. As part of this process, the present paper proposes hardiness as an addition to positive psychology. Hardiness is a combination of attitudes that provides the courage and motivation to do the hard, strategic work of turning stressful circumstances from potential disasters into growth opportunities. In this regard, the inherently stressful nature of living is discussed. Also clarified are the particular aspects of excellence in performance and health to which hardiness is relevant. The paper concludes with a call for issue-resolving research through which orientations and actions proposed as part of positive psychology can be compared in their contributions to performance and health. Two studies along these lines have found hardiness more powerful than optimism and religiousness in coping with stresses.     

Facing fear-provoking stimuli: The role of courage and influence of task-importance

ABSTRACT

Courage research is emerging, although there is little empirical literature on task-importance, and morality or nobility within courage. This experimental study assessed courage, persistence despite fear, in the relationship between anxiety, behavioral approach and task-importance. Twenty-eight participants with elevated spider fear were randomly assigned to high or low importance conditions. Participants undertook a behavioral approach test where they moved their hand alongside a ruler to as close as they felt comfortable to a non-living spider display. In partial support of the first hypothesis, courage scores predicted behavioral approach distance above-and-beyond spider fear when task-importance was not experimentally augmented. Supporting the second hypothesis, experimentally induced task-importance significantly moderated the relationship between courage and behavioral approach distance such that high importance participants moved closer to the spiders at all levels of courage. This study provides foundational evidence that 1) self-report measures can predict behavioral courage above-and-beyond fear 2) perceived task-importance influences behaviour.