Cultivating Courage Through Narrative, Self-Efficacy, and Action

Key Quotes

"The cowardly lion eventually discovers his true nature when he is given a medal to honor his courage; it helps him see that he is in fact a lion that he was brave all along. The moral of the story is clear: the lion always had the capacity to be brave; he just didn't know it."

This passage from the podcast introduces the central theme of courage by referencing a well-known fictional character. Shankar Vedantam uses the Cowardly Lion to illustrate the idea that the capacity for bravery may already exist within individuals, even if they are unaware of it. The interpretation highlights that the story suggests courage is not necessarily an innate trait but a realization of one's inherent potential.

"Ranjay Gulati is a behavioral scientist at Harvard Business School. He studies how people behave under conditions of great risk. He has thought a lot about the nature of courage."

This quote introduces Ranjay Gulati, the expert guest on the podcast, and establishes his credentials and area of expertise. Shankar Vedantam frames Gulati as a knowledgeable source on the subject of courage by detailing his academic background and research focus on behavior under risk. This sets the stage for Gulati to share his insights on the topic.

"Fan Meizhong was a teacher and he was in the middle of his class talking about an esoteric 18th century literary Chinese scholar when the building started to shake. He got a little uncomfortable but then the tremor turned into a full blown earthquake where now everything was shaking and Fan Meizhong didn't hesitate. He ran. He opened the door and he ran out of the building. He was the first one out of the building actually."

Shankar Vedantam recounts the experience of Fan Meizhong during an earthquake to present a real-life example of a response to a crisis. The narrative describes the teacher's immediate flight from the shaking building, highlighting his prioritization of personal safety. This story serves as a counterpoint to discussions of courage, illustrating a moment where instinct led to self-preservation rather than heroic action.

"As a society we really can't stand cowards. Cowardice is one of the most derogatory terms you can use to label somebody and that was the label pinned on Fan. He lost his job and it didn't end for him for several months after."

This quote, attributed to Ranjay Gulati, reflects on the societal reaction to Fan Meizhong's actions. Gulati explains the intense public condemnation and the severe consequences Fan faced, including job loss. The interpretation emphasizes the strong negative social stigma attached to cowardice and how it can lead to ostracization and professional repercussions.

"So Adam Klotz is a meteorologist. He's on his way to work and he sees some young kids harassing an older gentleman and and you know as a good samaritan and a good citizen he chooses to intervene. Nobody else is doing anything and he just asks them to stop doing what they were doing and and that then leads them to redirect attention to him."

Ranjay Gulati describes an incident on the New York subway involving Adam Klotz, illustrating an act of courage. Gulati details how Klotz, a meteorologist, intervened when he witnessed bullying. The interpretation points out that Klotz's decision to step in, despite the potential risk, showcases a proactive and courageous response to injustice.

"My mother doesn't hesitate at all. She gets up from her sofa, walks across the table and slaps him right across the face. He doesn't even see it coming and and then she says, 'How dare you? How dare you come into my house and try to bully me and try to tell me to give you my land and you're going to threaten me with a gun? Get out of here.'"

Ranjay Gulati recounts a dramatic personal experience involving his mother confronting a man with a gun. Gulati describes his mother's immediate and forceful reaction to the threat, emphasizing her lack of hesitation. The interpretation highlights this as a powerful example of courage, where his mother directly confronted danger with assertiveness and defiance.

"Just because you're scared doesn't mean you do nothing. And that line kind of has always stayed with me. Just because you're scared doesn't mean you do nothing."

Ranjay Gulati shares a pivotal piece of advice his mother gave him after the incident with the man and the gun. Gulati states that this line has remained with him, serving as a guiding principle. The interpretation underscores the message that fear should not be a complete deterrent to action, suggesting that courage involves acting despite being afraid.

"Uncertainty actually activates the amygdala and it triggers what is considered a survival emotion, fear. It moves quickly and it paralyzes us. So people say fight or flight, it's actually fight, flight, or freeze. And fight is the rarest of all responses. It's mostly flight or freeze."

Ranjay Gulati explains the neurological and psychological response to uncertainty. Gulati describes how fear, triggered by the amygdala, can lead to paralysis, expanding the common "fight or flight" response to include "freeze." The interpretation highlights that this scientific perspective suggests that freezing is a more common reaction to extreme fear than active confrontation.

"So some of these people actually cultivate courage and you discover that courage is a choice. It's a choice you make and it's a choice you make in the face of fear. It forces you to become acquainted with the discomfort we feel when we are scared."

Shankar Vedantam synthesizes Ranjay Gulati's insights on the nature of courage. Vedantam emphasizes that courage is not an inherent trait but a deliberate choice made when confronting fear. The interpretation points out that cultivating courage involves actively engaging with and becoming comfortable with the feelings of fear.

"Sacred values are things that in some ways are unamenable to cost benefit calculations. If someone were to say, you know, how much money would you be willing to accept in exchange for your child's life, you would say no amount of money is going to be worth it because my child's life is not connected to the realm of transaction of buying and selling."

Ranjay Gulati discusses the concept of "sacred values" as introduced by Scott Atran. Gulati explains that these values are so fundamental that they cannot be subjected to typical cost-benefit analyses. The interpretation highlights that sacred values, like the life of a child, operate outside the realm of transactional thinking, indicating a deeper, non-negotiable moral framework.

"My name is Frances Haugen. I used to work at Facebook. I joined Facebook because I think Facebook has the potential to bring out the best in us. But I'm here today because I believe Facebook's products harm children, stoke division, and weaken our democracy. The company's leadership knows how to make Facebook and Instagram safer, but won't make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical profits before people."

Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, testifies before a congressional subcommittee, outlining her reasons for whistleblowing. Hau