One of the things I absolutely love to do is read. It allows you to escape to another world and, unlike movies, create the landscape and characters in your mind. One of my favorites is the book Divergent. It’s about a girl named Tris trying to figure out where she belongs among her society, which is comprised of 5 factions, each faction having their own ideal: Abnegation (Selflessness), Candor (Honesty), Erudite (Intelligence), Amity (Kindness), and Dauntless (bravery). Each young person, at the age of 16, has to choose the faction they will spend the rest of their life in. Tris takes a particular interest in Dauntless, as did I when I saw the movie and read the book.
Throughout the story, Tris has to overcome numerous obstacles, most of them testing her limits, and her bravery. She becomes quite strong, physically and mentally. Watching her go through this change got me thinking: what really is bravery?
The textbook definition of bravery is the quality that allows someone to do things that are dangerous or frightening. Often times this is interpreted quite literally; military men and women, police officers, firefighters. What they do certainly is dangerous and frightening, and they deserve recognition for their bravery.
The Divergent definition of bravery is the courage that drives one person to stand up for another. This definition is much like the other; someone standing up for someone who needs help. But is this all that bravery is?
Tris doesn’t just stand up for others; she stands up for herself. She starts the book being one of the weakest, and comes out one of the strongest. Not physically; no, she is very small and slender. But that isn’t what strength is about. Strength is being able to stand tall and hold your own, even when being faced with the toughest of challenges.
I think that a lot of times, we lose sight of what it really means to be brave. Bravery isn’t always about saving other people, or being unafraid when others are. To me, bravery is being afraid. It’s being terrified, wanting to run in the other direction, but instead, standing strong. Bravery isn’t a lack of fear; it’s realizing that you’re afraid, but going on and doing what you want to do in spite of your fear. It could be physically dangerous things, like running into a burning building, but it could also be getting on a plane by yourself, or coming out to your religious parents. Bravery doesn’t have a face, and it can’t be measured. One act of bravery isn’t better or larger than another. Every one of the 7 billion people on this earth is afraid of something. It doesn’t matter if that fear is terrorism or if it’s a little bug. Facing that fear head on: that’s bravery. Each act of bravery is admirable and important. We should support each other in overcoming our fears, not compare them. That’s the kind of bravery Tris has, and it’s the kind I strive for every day.
