A courageous person is one "who endures and fears the right things, for the right motive, in the right manner, and at the right time, and who displays confidence in a similar way" (1115b, 17-8). People are often seen in situations where they are thought to have courage, but, in actuality, they do not. These situations occur when the person acts for the wrong reason concerning any one or any combination of these conditions.

An example of those who do not "endure and fear for the right things" are those whom Aristotle calls "citizen soldiers." These people do not perform courageously for the sake of doing so. Rather, they do so to receive honors from their fellow citizens or for fear of punishment. Those who do not do it

"in the right manner" would be those who have experience in dangerous situations. Whereas one exhibiting courage works against and gains control over one's fear, the mercenary struggles with nothing. Mercenaries have been desensitized to the fear that a truly courageous person would feel. Spirited men are another group who are mistaken for the courageous. They seem to be courageous, but are not "because they are spurred by pain and a roused temper to rush into danger" (11176b, 35). Anger clouds their judgement. Those who act so do not qualify as courageous primarily because they are not motivated in the proper way. There are also those who are optimists. These are often mistaken for being courageous because they do not see their own faults. They do not display a confidence suitable to the situation. They are instead overconfident and headstrong, as is a man who is drunk. The last group of people who are mistaken as courageous are those who act out of ignorance of the danger in which they are. These people do not act at the right time. Their lack of knowledge makes their actions a reckless choice.

The flaws in the actions of these men are hardly singular. The mercenary is very easily p

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Approximate Word count = 814
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)