“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ―Lao Tzu
Who do you love with a depth that gives you greater courage?
3 thoughts on “Love and Courage”
How interesting that the Lao Tzu quote on Love and Courage should appear at the time of the Christian period of Lent – The STORY of the temptations during Jesus’ desert fastj: tempted by a goad, a bribe and a dare with the promise of worldly possessions; the persecution of an unyielding loyalty, abandonment of friends; and lack of support from a politicized public – with the response of forgiveness and the echoing question: why have you forsaken me? Seems like a good occasion to share the timeless quote of Confucius among a host of examples of faith traditions.
My love for my family keeps me going.
Combining love with strength and courage seems, to me, to be only one way to see what love can do. For instance, a feeling of universal love can give persons a sense of courage in being able to carry out great deeds for the good of humanity and the strength to do it. I have mentioned before that I see love as represented by actions so in this sense I am agreeing with the that conclusion; however, I do not see one person as my source of strength or courage. When either of these attributes surge up, it is usually because of a larger cause or movement in which I have a concern. Love of an individual and from an individual is based on a mutual exchange of needs; this may or may not show itself as strength or courage.
How interesting that the Lao Tzu quote on Love and Courage should appear at the time of the Christian period of Lent – The STORY of the temptations during Jesus’ desert fastj: tempted by a goad, a bribe and a dare with the promise of worldly possessions; the persecution of an unyielding loyalty, abandonment of friends; and lack of support from a politicized public – with the response of forgiveness and the echoing question: why have you forsaken me? Seems like a good occasion to share the timeless quote of Confucius among a host of examples of faith traditions.
My love for my family keeps me going.
Combining love with strength and courage seems, to me, to be only one way to see what love can do. For instance, a feeling of universal love can give persons a sense of courage in being able to carry out great deeds for the good of humanity and the strength to do it. I have mentioned before that I see love as represented by actions so in this sense I am agreeing with the that conclusion; however, I do not see one person as my source of strength or courage. When either of these attributes surge up, it is usually because of a larger cause or movement in which I have a concern. Love of an individual and from an individual is based on a mutual exchange of needs; this may or may not show itself as strength or courage.