Courage is also called greatness of strength or of the noble spirit. This is not what we typically consider courage to be, but it is, for the Stoics, its defining characteristic. Not only does it involve attaining those things that make our lives better, whether through hard work and discipline or through endurance, but also in rising above what we have acquired. Insofar as bettering ourselves in any way requires us to face difficulties and challenges and to rise above our present condition, it is an act of courage.
