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We have partnered with UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center to provide you with these scientific facts. Click on an item below to expand and reveal more.
Courage involves risk—and perhaps fear
When scientists define courage, they emphasize that it means voluntarily putting yourself at risk to achieve a positive goal; some, but not all, experts also believe that courage involves confronting and overcoming fear, rather than the absence of fear.
Courage is common among kids
In one study, more than 70 percent of children between the ages of 8 and 13 reported performing at least one courageous act in their life so far.
Courageous kids are outgoing
They score higher on questionnaires that measure extraversion and lower on measures of anxiety.
It’s possible to build courage
Research suggests we can overcome fears not by avoiding them but by gradually and repeatedly exposing ourselves to what we fear.
For more on the science of courage, visit the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley.