Valor is the Virtue of Courage.

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I read a review of Ultima V by someone who had played it as a teen and who was impacted strongly by it. He, for some period, focused each day on practicing one of the Virtues.

 

He found opportunities to show Valor hard to come by. Perhaps… stand up to the school bully?

 

This is interesting to me, because I find Valor to be one of the easiest to encounter, many times every day.

 

Valor is taking on the difficult task, the thing that’s hard or scary or painful. It’s being undaunted in the face of an internal “I don’t want to.” or “I can’t.”

 

It can be large, like fighting to quit heroin or any other addiction. It can be small, like making yourself take the trash out or do the dishes immediately. It could be working to integrate exercise into an already busy life. Sitting another five minutes of zazen when your mind is frantically telling you it’s time to stop. Taking on a difficult job or goal and risking looking foolish when you fail.

 

Valor is the courage to face a scary fight. It is the courage to go beyond expected actions and fight to make a difference. Valor fights to win. And Valor is the courage to keep fighting when hope is lost, to keep fighting after failure and defeat. Valor tells you to face any difficulty, no matter how overwhelming, with a straight back, steady gaze, head high, full of spirit. Valor tells you that as long as there’s a single breath left in you, you can fight to make things better.

 

Recommended studies: Ghost Dog (movie), Wim Hof [I will research more to make sure he fits]

 

Weaknesses of Valor:

Valor can burn you out. It can confuse you into equating difficulty with worth. It can be manipulated. It can weaken patience and wisdom, getting you to fight when you should wait or retreat. (Note: true Valor can, in the face of difficulties, wait for the right moment, rather than panicking) It can make you into a brittle or over-strong person, leading you away from gentleness and kindness.