Continuing the Search for Courage

For more than two millennia, great thinkers have tried to define human psychological constructs and virtues. A psychological construct is a skill or attribute such as love, curiosity or fear, used to help explain human behavior. From the earliest philosophers to today’s researchers and psychologists, there are still many unanswered questions surrounding lesser-studied constructs, such as acts of courage. Since 2003, Dr. Cynthia Pury in the Department of Psychology has been researching courage with undergraduate students. When Clemson’s Creative Inquiry program was established in 2005, she established the Courage and Positive Psychology Research Creative Inquiry project. Over the last 18 years, the project has conducted research addressing the meaning of courage, resulting in an ever-changing definition of what it means to be courageous.

Today, the Creative Inquiry team defines courage as taking a worthwhile risk. “I think it is a nice, succinct definition that captures a lot of the stuff we’ve seen in all the data that we’ve collected over the years,” Pury said. The team develops surveys to collect data on peoples’ experiences while being courageous. Deciphering this type of data is difficult as each respondent’s previous experiences and background affects their interpretation of risk. Taking a more individualized approach helps the team analyze the narratives and pinpoint key elements of courage that are present in all of the stories.

“When we look at what constitutes courageous actions, we think about what people can do to be more courageous…if that’s the right thing to do,” Pury said. Some of the narratives the Creative Inquiry team collected and read on the Internet originated from stories of people who attempted suicide and manifestos of mass shooters and terrorists. As courage can be for many purposes, good or bad, anyone can perceive themselves as courageous. “The question is always if the risk is worth it,” Pury said.

Putting this into perspective with today’s events, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a wide range of courageous actions. “I think we’ve seen an awful lot of that. In terms of what people think of as risks and worthwhile goals, those differences can be heated,” Pury said. Without a doubt, healthcare workers who have tirelessly treated the millions of patients infected with COVID-19 are celebrated for their courage. However, COVID-deniers might also be considered to display courage in their decision to resist safety precautions and continue normal living. As a result of their research, the Creative Inquiry team’s personal views on courage have changed how they approach certain situations where they might need to act bravely or speak up. “I think I personally have a much bigger mouth and am more confrontational about things that I think are wrong since I’ve studied courage. If somebody is doing something that seems really foolish, I probably will have less patience for that,” Pury said. Still, one must remember that courage is all dependent on what a person deems a worthwhile risk.

Throughout the years, this Creative Inquiry project has published their work in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters as well as presented their work at national conferences. Their work has also provided consulting support for projects involving historical acts of courage at organizations including The National Civil Rights Museum, the United States Department of State and currently the ARKIVET Peace and Human Rights Center in Norway.

Reflecting on nearly two decades of research on courage and positive psychology, these motivated students have put in countless hours of work towards this project and are hopeful for its future. Looking forward, the Creative Inquiry team intends to develop an improved system of evaluating courage by testing how individuals respond in public speaking contexts. While Clemson students are among the small group of people in the world studying this topic, their efforts will continue to lead the search for courage.