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.