5 Ways to Develop Your Moral Courage

As hate speech and intolerance becomes increasingly common – both online and in the 'real' world – having the moral courage to confront it is more necessary than ever. Ed Gould suggests five ways to prepare yourself to stand up against hate in our increasingly polarised world. 

Do you have the feeling that hate is on the rise around the world? If you look at the number of cases of hate speech and crimes being reported, you may well be right. In the face of this unpleasant change in the political landscape, it's essential not to get caught up in hate and embrace positivity and happiness.

But how do you take action without hating the haters or lowering yourself to their level of vitriol? Furthermore, how do you do so without putting yourself and your loved ones in danger? Finding and showing so-called moral courage is one possible answer.

 

What is moral courage? 

Moral courage involves exhibiting the courage to stand up, take action and be heard for reasons of morality – despite the risk of potentially adverse consequences. Situations which may involve you having to show moral courage are usually challenging and tense.

Stop hate: do you have the moral courage to speak out?

Fortunately, there are several lessons to be learned from history about standing up to hatred and the people that manipulate negativity for their own ends. Let's examine some of the key techniques you can use to help garner the sort of moral courage required – while ensuring that you don't put yourself at risk at the same time.

 

Preparing to show moral courage

Many people are surprised when they first hear hate speech live and direct in the 'real' world (rather than on social media). They're usually not used to it and it can often cause well-meaning people to clam up in shock. Equally, if you're a witness to abuse or crime in the street, you may also understandably freeze in the horror of the moment.

In order to overcome this normal human response, it's necessary to prepare yourself. Being mindful of all kinds of potential threats helps you to respond appropriately and support people in danger. This applies to hate speech and crime, too. By recognizing hatred for what it is, it becomes much easier to call it out.

 

“Speaking up against hate crime is about challenging it from becoming the norm. If you say or do nothing, you will probably feel bad about it afterwards.”

Having the moral courage to stand up against hatred is frequently down to nothing more than having prepared and rehearsed in your own mind what you would say or do if you happened to face it. So you can prepare by thinking ahead about what you might say in response to common scenarios, such as a racist comment made by a stranger or a derogatory, sexist term used by a colleague in the workplace. Roleplay different scenarios in your head and imagine how you would use your moral courage to engage in conversation.

 

How moral courage benefits you and society

Having the moral courage to speak up against hate crime/speech is about challenging such behaviour to stop it from becoming the norm. If you witness something that you feel is wrong and say or do nothing, you will probably feel bad about it afterwards.

Staying silent also means that others are less likely to find moral fortitude in themselves, too. Ultimately, this creates an atmosphere in society where hatred becomes normalised. In such environments, hate speech and crime only tend to get worse. In the end, we all suffer from tolerating it in this way.

Would you have the moral courage to intervene in a physical attack? 

On the other hand, having the moral courage to confront hatred when it rears its ugly head means that the perpetrators of it will think twice before saying and doing such things again.

Furthermore, displaying moral courage encourages others to follow your actions. Bystanders are more likely to join in and show their own moral courage if they see someone else practising it – creating a sort of 'strength in numbers' feeling. Every action taken against hate or abuse – no matter how small it may seem at the time – is a victory for a fair, inclusive and decent society.

 

5 ways to develop your moral courage

Feeling inspired? Want to be prepared for tough situations that require moral courage? Here are five steps you can take:

 

1. Learn about intervention training

Protecting someone who's experiencing a hate crime may require you to intervene directly on their behalf. There are a number of courses and workshops that teach people how to be effective as a bystander and to make safe interventions. In the UK, the University of the West of England have been in the forefront of such training.

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Meanwhile, in the US, courses like Green Dot have led to a greater number of positive interventions that stand up to hate. Wherever you are in the world, consider trying out a course in intervention training. And if you can't find one near you, try an online class. 

 

2. Lead and others will follow

There's little doubt that many people who tolerate hate speech would prefer for someone to call it out – perhaps they just lack the moral courage to do it for themselves. After all, in an increasingly violent world, standing up to hateful people can often put you in a precarious – even potentially lethal – situation. 

In any group situation, including social media, it's a well-established psychological concept that people 'fall into line' within groups.

For example, if you speak up against a racist or xenophobic comment then others will probably back you up. Research from New York University has shown that people who use racist terms on social media refrain from doing it so often if someone in their circle stands up to them about it.

Peace by piece: showing moral courage encourages others to do the same

 

3. Raise your profile

Sometimes being an intervener against hate speech means going against the grain. It means feeling the pressure of a peer group and not to act. Train yourself to feel this natural anxiety and act in defiance of it anyway.

 

“Having the moral courage to confront hatred when it rears its ugly head means the perpetrators will think twice before saying and doing such things again.”

To do so, it's a good idea to stand out from the crowd every now and then. Do so when it's safe. It will leave you better equipped to handle hatred when it turns up for real. Psychologist Lynne Henderson refers to this sort of preparation as social fitness. Her research suggests that practice and roleplay helps you to draw on moral courage when you need it.

 

4. Seek help

There's always a balance to be sought between rushing into an intervention and putting yourself in the firing line. According to Philip Zimbardo, psychologist and the founder of the Heroic Imagination Project, when a situation is potentially dangerous, calling the police or others nearby to help you do the right thing is the best course of action. “You can only be an effective social change agent if you understand when to act alone, as a member of a team, or not at all,” he says.

 

5. Take a second to really think

Studies undertaken at Princeton University showed that people who were in a hurry were far less likely to stop and assist a stranger in distress.

Furthermore, when several people witness a dire situation, each observer is less likely to help. This is called the 'bystander effect' in psychology. When you stop and think about it, you'll soon remind yourself that it's a normal human tendency to assume someone else will act. That simple pause for thought will allow you to overcome the 'bystander effect' and make the decision to be the one who acts. 

 

The takeaway: what is moral courage?

None of us possess unlimited amounts of moral courage, just as none of us have unlimited happiness. After all, we can all be cowed in certain situations. Nonetheless, self-preparation makes it more likely that you will respond to hatred in a way that successfully challenges it. This can help to make society less tolerant of it.

Once you have built some confidence and learned some techniques that match your personal values, you will find it easier to put them into action again and again. ●
Images: shutterstock/CHAjAMP, shutterstock/PhotodriveStudio, pexels/Anastasiya Lobanovskaya

Have you ever witnessed a hate crime or another disturbing situation and used your moral courage to stand up for what you believe is right? The community would love to hear your story in the comments below...
 

 

Written by Ed Gould

Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and freelance writer. He is a practitioner of Reiki.