Fear and Courage

(Baonghean) - My little Bim is going to first grade next year but she seems very excited to go to school. Every afternoon, Bim waits for her neighbor Na to come home from first grade to ask about her class. Today, it's almost dark but she's still sitting at home eating a lollipop. I asked her in surprise and she pouted and replied:

- Bim won't go to school anymore, Na told Bim that the newspaper reported that elementary school students had to walk across broken glass to learn how to be brave. Bim didn't want to be brave, Bim was scared! Mom told Bim not to go barefoot, to wear sandals so as not to step on broken glass. Bim listened to Mom!

I listened to her complain, couldn't help but sigh and ask an unanswered question. Why?

When I was in school, there was no life skills subject, only ethics, civics, engineering, technology... which were subjects that taught students common knowledge as well as behaviors and conduct in everyday life. I still remember that ethics and technology lessons were always eagerly awaited by the whole class because of interesting stories, lessons on sewing, embroidery, cooking or even repairing slightly damaged household appliances... Those were very simple, new but also very familiar knowledge because they were all things and events that we come into contact with every day. Not only did they change the learning atmosphere and create mental comfort for students, such lessons also contributed to providing students with a comprehensive education. Students not only learned from books but also learned to become a small citizen who was harmoniously connected with community life.

Returning to the story of the class about courage by teaching students to walk barefoot on glass, before discussing the level of danger of this method, I have two concerns. First, is stepping on glass a practical action or skill that can help us in life? I'm afraid the answer is no. Perhaps we often hear about ascetics or stuntmen walking barefoot on hot coals, on glass,... but has anyone encountered such a situation in daily life? So, is it really a life skill that needs to be equipped for students? It's probably not difficult to answer this question.

But more importantly, I think this educational method represents an incomplete way of thinking and understanding of courage. What is courage? A Western philosopher once analyzed human psychology like this: “Everyone has certain fears, because humans are imperfect beings. But at the same time, humans always strive for perfection, and on the path to that search, they must overcome fear. That is courage.” That is, courage is not judged by the difficulty or danger of the action, but by the will of the subject performing the action. There are people who have an innate tendency to love adventure, climbing a steep mountain or jumping freely from a high place does not bring them any fear, but even brings excitement. Thus, it is impossible to judge them as brave people, although it is very possible that these are things that not everyone can do.

True courage is when we experience fear, but then overcome our weakness, moving towards what we should and need to do. A child does not need to do terrible things like stepping on broken glass to be considered brave. Teach them to be afraid of injections, afraid of doctors, but still obediently stand still to get an injection when necessary; teach them to dare to stand up and admit their mistakes when they do wrong;... just those simple things, but for children, they are still great fears that sometimes make them shy and close themselves. Fear is human instinct, do not dream of teaching children not to know fear, but teach them how to accept and overcome it, from the simplest things. Like that, is it so difficult?

Hai Trieu