a discussion on courage, life and death

 

“We are strong, when we have made up our minds to die”

“A man is not dependent upon his fellow creature, when he does not fear death”

“Death overtakes the coward, but never the brave until his hour has come”

“Cowards die many times before their actual deaths” Julius Cesar 

“He who is afraid is half beaten”. Field Marshal Alexander Suvaruv

“Death is a debt which all of us must pay”.Sophocles

“To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise: for it is to think that we know what we do not know. For anything that men can tell, death may be the greatest good that can happen to them: but they fear it as if they knew quite well that it was the greatest of evils. And what is this but that shameful ignorance of thinking that we know what we do not know?”Socrates

 “Ad astra per aspera ” will be the words carved in my  tombstone. A tombstone of rock freshly mined in some obscure river or falls. A stone half my height to weather the drops of water and the menace of time. Let my spirit and my soul be felt by the children and those after them. May they learn from my triumphs and the lessons of defeats. May they live their lives to the fullest of their ability. May they have the competence to feel life as a process and as an end.  Savor each sunrise, wet in the rain, watch the sun as it sets, feel the moon in its glory at night, put your best in each task that you do, love with all your might, fight with all your soul, aspire for the stars.

I have always thought of how my end would be. I rather fear an unexpected death than death itself. As much I persevere to define my life, I persevere to define what end awaits me. In existentialism, we are taught the finite characteristics of our existence; and as such, we are taught virtues as sense of purpose, sense of meaning. To indulge in the exercise of reflection, discernment and self awareness is essential in life. 

I am reminded by a verse in a Longfellow poem  “in the world broad field of battle, in the bivouac of life, be not dumb driven cattle, be a hero in the strife…”. I will not be caught off guard. I would prefer a soldier’s death – on my feet, standing with a sword on my hand and a shield on the other. I have never been so accustomed to the concept of retirement. I would even prefer the lives of Alexander and the character of Achilles in the Illiad who died in pursuit of purpose and glory. It would take ingenuity and competence to have the capacity to define one’s life and to define one’s end.

Somehow, the circumstances of death illuminates in me the love for life. In my awareness that only in living life to the fullest I can cheat death, I live life with vigor and passion according to my defined purpose. I cannot allow a day, an hour or a minute to pass without signing my action with enthusiasm and vigor. For in a day, I can live a lifetime. I enjoy every moment with my two brave little souls, Hannah and Maxene; and pursue love and adventure with my equally passionate wife. Life can never be measured by years. It is measured by the amount of soul, meaning, action and contribution one brings to the world. Great men might have lived short lives but to live a hundred years in mediocrity would be a sin; to live each day with purpose and with heart is already an eternity in itself.

Cowardice is a virtue to be detested.  Never to be promoted. Fear is an impostor and a thief. It has robbed many people of purpose and happiness. Fear is a dealer of despair. Courage and faith, on the other hand, are whispers of angels reminding us of our God given right to be happy and fulfillment. How can we be masters of nature if we cannot master ourselves. How can we master the world if we cannot command ourselves. A famous line I once read states that courage is merely the recognition that some things are more valuable than once fear. Indeed, there is so much we can compute with a capable intellect. This is exactly the proposition of Clausewitz in his thesis on Genius of War.  With intellect, we can command our emotion, our behavior and our physical extensions; and thereby become competent of mastering the external world. Virtues as cowardice and courage are object of interest to be pursued.  One must be cautious and discriminating as to the virtues one should possess and pursue. As much as we are capable of learning, we are also capable of unlearning. Though we might have virtues we acquired from childhood, our intellect and freedom equips us with the power to unlearn and learn new virtues, new competencies.

Rene Bitara, Prometheus Consultants