True courage is not the brutal force of vulgar heroes, but the firm resolve of virtue and reason.
Those are the words of Alfred North Whitehead, British philosopher and mathematician born in 1861.
I love those words but, as a covert sinner, I feel intimidated by the word virtue. So I’ll do what any non-virtuous person (who enjoys her sins) would do: I’ll change Mr. Whitehead’s words in a way that will allow me to continue being a harmless sinner, while also being a courageous, valuable human.
This is what I came up with:
True courage is not the brutal force of vulgar heroes, but the firm resolve of good intent and reason.
I find that to be a more accurate description of courage. Never mind that is self-serving. ?