Many miss the greater truth of courage by thinking of it solely in terms of bravery. Though bravery may be admirable, courage is far more than valor in the face of danger. Courage and heroism are not exactly the same. Acts of heroism may or may not be proof of true courage.
Heroism in the face of danger may be a temporary burst of instinct not reflective of true character. Some people are bolder than others by nature. Sometimes public heroes in war or athletics later live unproductive and even destructive lives. Such people were never truly courageous. They were simply brave.
Furthermore, courage without character can descend into mere bravado. The difference between a hero and an obnoxious show-off is character. In other words, if their motives are selfish and impure, a “hero’s” actions may result from a lust for fame that overrides good judgment.
Beyond circumstance, past mere bravery, there is another kind of courage. The courage of true character uplifts a life. A warrior may fight valiantly, overcome overwhelming odds, brave all manner of danger, and defeat a superior enemy, only to plunder the city and murder its citizenry. Is he courageous? In every classical and biblical sense of virtue, the answer is a definite no. The fearless warrior who rapes and burns is not courageous. He is a brute. Courage, true courage, is about valiant goodness.