Virtues Part II: Wisdom and Courage

“Timendi causa est nescire” = Ignorance is the cause of fear” (Seneca the Younger). [In other words, be wise.]

"Impedimentum ad actionem promovet actionem. Quod in via est, fit via = The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way” (Marcus Aurelius in Meditations, 4.22). [Courage will see you through the obstacles.]

Wisdom and Courage are two of the Four Cardinal Virtues of Stoicism.  [If you’re not familiar with Stoicism or the Stoics, check out my blog post: https://www.missyduncanphdofficial.com/post/wwsd ]  Why am I writing about virtues?  Simply, because they are rarely seen in 2026, and I think they need to make a comeback.  As you know and according to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘virtue’ is defined as, “…morally good behavior or character, a good and moral quality, strength or courage, a quality of distinction that gives something special worth” (www.oed.com). By extension, ‘virtuous’ means to be morally excellent.  Ah-ha!  That’s why seeing a virtuous person is so rare.

‘Wisdom’ means, “the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments” (www.oed.com).  Wisdom doesn’t require a university degree or the highest IQ; it requires thinking.  It requires education in and / or essential life experience in critical thinking. Perhaps that’s why it’s an uncommon trait. Dr. Laura Gabahyan was curious: “What is wisdom? Can it be scientifically defined? For millennia, people have defined wisdom in a variety of ways, yet many think, ‘I know it when I see it.’ Can something so important be left to intuition, or can wisdom actually be quantified? As a scientist, I was not satisfied with the anecdotal and subjective definitions of wisdom I found, so I created the Wisdom Research Project and wrote a book based on my findings titled Common Wisdom: 8 Scientific Elements of a Meaningful Life, published in 2024. For the project, I interviewed 60 wise adults aged 50-79 across North America and scientifically defined wisdom as eight interconnected elements: resilience, kindness, positivity, spirituality, humility, tolerance, creativity, curiosity (in that order)… What is interesting is that while I scientifically defined wisdom as eight elements, I really discovered that these traits are the key ingredients to living not just a good life, but a great life. Applying these eight ‘common wisdom’ elements is difficult and will take time, so it’s important to be patient and kind with yourself. These elements are all connected. View obstacles with resilience, positivity, and creativity. Regard situations with an air of curiosity. Treat people with kindness, humility, and tolerance. Most importantly, while going through life, maintain spirituality and live in faith, not in fear. Use these core life skills as a roadmap to master life, and it will increase your joy, happiness, and success” (qtd. in https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/common-wisdom-insights/202409/what-is-wisdom).

Here are some synonyms for ‘wisdom’: “acumen, common sense, insight, sanity, savvy, enlightenment, practicality” (https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/wisdom). I imagine most people reading this desire to be known as a person who has wisdom, is wise.

Other key aspects of ‘wisdom’ are that it “requires moral discernment, adaptability, learns from mistakes, self-awareness, and courage” (https://simplicable.com/life/what-is-wisdom).

Speaking of courage, that’s another virtue. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘courage’ is, “the ability to control your fear and be willing to deal with something that is dangerous or difficult or unpleasant” (www.oed.com).  Why will some people act with ‘courage’ even in the face of danger, difficulty, or something awful? Psychologists assure us that we can, “all build bravery like a skill using deliberate practice and feedback…Dr. Robert Sternberg, a professor of human development at Cornell University and a main researcher in positive psychology, which includes virtues like courage, explains, ‘The world has plenty of people with high IQs. What the world lacks, and desperately needs, are more people with the courage to do the right thing at a time when so many leaders, including those of high IQ, are scrambling to do the opposite’” (https://www.apa.org/monitor/2025/09/courage). What are some synonyms for ‘courage’? “Bravery, determination, daring, endurance, fearlessness, grit, spunk, tenacity, backbone” (https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/courage).

This next week, I dare you to focus on living the virtues of ‘wisdom’ and ‘courage’!  In next week’s blog post, I’ll continue the series on ‘virtues’ by exploring more modern secular virtues that derive from Stoicism, humanism, ethics, and psychology.  Are you interested in learning more about virtues? Do you want to be one of the rare individuals in 2026 who is seen as a ‘virtuous person’? Please share your thoughts, insights, and suggestions by either commenting below this post if you are reading this on social media, or, if you are reading this through your email subscription, please share, by emailing me, at MissyDuncanPhdofficial@gmail.com . I invite you to subscribe to my blog at www.missyduncanphdofficial.com. My YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvddqOlfJbS0ypODwbmQ_JA .  Although my channel is just hatched and is not quite a fledgling, I will keep feeding it and encourage it to take flight.