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Courage and Fear: A Primer
“I have only two men out of my company and twenty out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right. I will hold.” First Lt. Clifton B. Cates’s report on July 19, 1918, reminds us that controlling one’s fear is key to success on the battlefield. Cates—a future commandant of the Marine Corps—held, but if his fear had bested him, he might not have been able to think clearly or lead his men successfully, possibly sacrificing his men’s lives and the mission.
Medal of Honor recipient and retired Marine colonel Wesley L. Fox writes about his fears in difficult operational and training situations, their effect on him, and he how he handled particular fears. While he focuses primarily on military experiences, Fox’s methods of handling the thoughts, actions, and reactions to fear apply to civilian circumstances as well. Fear can bombard us in our daily routine, sometimes in unexpected ways. The more we know about ourselves and how fear affects us, the better able we are to control it and to produce positive results. “If fear is not handled properly and promptly,” Fox writes, “it can and will override common sense, good judgment, and the positive decision-making process.”
Medal of Honor recipient and retired Marine colonel Wesley L. Fox writes about his fears in difficult operational and training situations, their effect on him, and he how he handled particular fears. While he focuses primarily on military experiences, Fox’s methods of handling the thoughts, actions, and reactions to fear apply to civilian circumstances as well. Fear can bombard us in our daily routine, sometimes in unexpected ways. The more we know about ourselves and how fear affects us, the better able we are to control it and to produce positive results. “If fear is not handled properly and promptly,” Fox writes, “it can and will override common sense, good judgment, and the positive decision-making process.”
- GenresPsychology
132 pages, Hardcover
First published November 21, 2007
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Wesley L. Fox
2 books2 followersWesley Lee Fox is a decorated United States Military veteran and retired Colonel in the Marine Corps. Fox earned the nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Vietnam War. In addition, as a 43-year veteran, he is uniquely distinguished by having held all but one enlisted and officer rank from private to colonel (the exception is Sergeant Major). He retired only upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 62. Fox is regarded as a legendary hero within the Corps, and his story is known to many Marines.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 11, 2017
This short book is about overcoming fear with courage. The author knows what he's writing about: he's a Medal of Honor winner who served in both Korea and Vietnam, and went from a private to first sargeant, then after receiving a commission, went from a second lieutenant to Colonel in the Marine Corps. He recounts a number of situations, from combat to parachuting, where he had to overcome his fear to perform his mission, or to come out of a parachute malfunction alive.
He defines courage as having the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty. It also implies firmness of mind or will in the face or danger or extreme difficulty. I like that definition!
This book is worth reading.
He defines courage as having the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty. It also implies firmness of mind or will in the face or danger or extreme difficulty. I like that definition!
This book is worth reading.
March 13, 2008
Clear and forceful thoughts about the title topics - courage and fear - from someone who is well qualified to discuss them. The author is something of a folk hero within the Marine Corps for his heroism and leadership; he showed himself, over and over, to be a person who thought and acted effectively in situations of extreme danger, and just as important, one who put his principles and the well-being of others ahead of his own life.
I was lucky enough to participate in a brief chat with Colonel Fox at a social event in 1985, and to hear him speak once the following year. He came across as quiet, matter-of-fact, and sure of himself but devoid of arrogance. He never mentioned the fact that he had won the Medal of Honor, America's highest medal for valor - in this book he briefly describes the situation and his actions, but again doesn't mention the medal, downplays the courage he showed (and the unselfishness - when the fighting was over, although he was wounded, he refused medical attention until all his Marines had been treated), but candidly discusses the fact that for a lot of the time he was scared out of his wits.
In this book he analyzes the causes and effects of fear, and talks about ways to avoid, reduce, and counteract its effects in oneself and others. I believe every person entering into a dangerous profession, e.g. the military, firefighting, or law enforcement, would benefit from this book, and especially any who will be leaders.
I'd have given it five stars except that I believe that Colonel Fox went astray when he detoured briefly into politics while discussing the effects of terrorism. He voiced the view that terrorists probably wouldn't commit acts of terror if the media didn't publicize them - which may be true - but went on to opine that it might be better if only our leaders knew about such dangers and the rest of us trusted them to do the right things on our behalf. I disagree on three grounds. First, it isn't practical. There would be no way to keep people from finding out about events like 9/11 - from people who were there, from people in law enforcement, from foreign news media, and so on. Second, and more important, it's kind of condescending toward the American people - we can handle it, especially if we have leadership of the FDR "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" type rather than the GWB "be afraid, be very afraid" style. Finally, and most important of all, we can't have a system that depends on always getting people we can trust in charge. Sometimes, we end up with leaders who are incompetent, unprincipled, or both, and if we have a system that is personality-dependent, they'll ruin us. We need a system that is fool-proof and crook-proof, so that it can survive a Nixon, for example. And Colonel Fox should know that, because in his time in the Marine Corps (43 years of service!) he saw a lot of people in positions of authority who abused that authority or couldn't handle it. In the military it sometimes makes sense for a commander not to share information with the troops - but our society is a democracy, and the military is an autocracy, both for good reasons. So I salute the man and his intentions, but feel his thoughts were in serious error on this single but important question.
I was lucky enough to participate in a brief chat with Colonel Fox at a social event in 1985, and to hear him speak once the following year. He came across as quiet, matter-of-fact, and sure of himself but devoid of arrogance. He never mentioned the fact that he had won the Medal of Honor, America's highest medal for valor - in this book he briefly describes the situation and his actions, but again doesn't mention the medal, downplays the courage he showed (and the unselfishness - when the fighting was over, although he was wounded, he refused medical attention until all his Marines had been treated), but candidly discusses the fact that for a lot of the time he was scared out of his wits.
In this book he analyzes the causes and effects of fear, and talks about ways to avoid, reduce, and counteract its effects in oneself and others. I believe every person entering into a dangerous profession, e.g. the military, firefighting, or law enforcement, would benefit from this book, and especially any who will be leaders.
I'd have given it five stars except that I believe that Colonel Fox went astray when he detoured briefly into politics while discussing the effects of terrorism. He voiced the view that terrorists probably wouldn't commit acts of terror if the media didn't publicize them - which may be true - but went on to opine that it might be better if only our leaders knew about such dangers and the rest of us trusted them to do the right things on our behalf. I disagree on three grounds. First, it isn't practical. There would be no way to keep people from finding out about events like 9/11 - from people who were there, from people in law enforcement, from foreign news media, and so on. Second, and more important, it's kind of condescending toward the American people - we can handle it, especially if we have leadership of the FDR "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" type rather than the GWB "be afraid, be very afraid" style. Finally, and most important of all, we can't have a system that depends on always getting people we can trust in charge. Sometimes, we end up with leaders who are incompetent, unprincipled, or both, and if we have a system that is personality-dependent, they'll ruin us. We need a system that is fool-proof and crook-proof, so that it can survive a Nixon, for example. And Colonel Fox should know that, because in his time in the Marine Corps (43 years of service!) he saw a lot of people in positions of authority who abused that authority or couldn't handle it. In the military it sometimes makes sense for a commander not to share information with the troops - but our society is a democracy, and the military is an autocracy, both for good reasons. So I salute the man and his intentions, but feel his thoughts were in serious error on this single but important question.
August 18, 2016
Practical Information from a Marine’s Perspective …
There is probably no better perspective of the courage/fear dichotomy than that of a combat veteran. When that veteran has fought in two wars and happens to be a recipient of the Medal of Honor, you can be assured he knows what he’s talking about. COURAGE AND FEAR is an interesting analysis of one individual’s experience in dealing with his fears and what it took to overcome them. While this primer is logically aimed at fellow Marines, the lessons he learned finding the courage to handle fear is applicable to anyone.
The structure of this book is simple: Fox looks back on pivotal moments in his life when he overcame fear. As a Marine who served in both Korea and Vietnam, he plenty of moments to draw from, but he also lists many experiences outside the warzone that are just as palpable … from his fear of the dark as a child to jump training incidents that went awry (he logged over 1,000 parachute jumps in his career). With each account, Fox gives readers enough details to get an idea of the grave nature he was facing and a step-by-step analysis of his mindset throughout the experience. He lays out the lessons in a matter-of-fact manner and while the information is certainly valuable, the primer, as a whole, is a little dry. While the incidents Fox discusses are military-related, the process of overcoming fear is not an exclusive military issue and the lessons Fox presents could be appreciated by anyone. I especially liked the details behind several motivating and historical Marine quotes in the final chapter; these stories exhibit how an action-based mindset is what turns fear into courage and why the Marine Corps are such a formidable force.
I like the purpose of this book and found Fox’s examples honest and interesting; it is not a chest-thumper. I have always been enamored with the steadfast pride that Marines have towards their service and Col. Fox is a fine example of this trait.
There is probably no better perspective of the courage/fear dichotomy than that of a combat veteran. When that veteran has fought in two wars and happens to be a recipient of the Medal of Honor, you can be assured he knows what he’s talking about. COURAGE AND FEAR is an interesting analysis of one individual’s experience in dealing with his fears and what it took to overcome them. While this primer is logically aimed at fellow Marines, the lessons he learned finding the courage to handle fear is applicable to anyone.
The structure of this book is simple: Fox looks back on pivotal moments in his life when he overcame fear. As a Marine who served in both Korea and Vietnam, he plenty of moments to draw from, but he also lists many experiences outside the warzone that are just as palpable … from his fear of the dark as a child to jump training incidents that went awry (he logged over 1,000 parachute jumps in his career). With each account, Fox gives readers enough details to get an idea of the grave nature he was facing and a step-by-step analysis of his mindset throughout the experience. He lays out the lessons in a matter-of-fact manner and while the information is certainly valuable, the primer, as a whole, is a little dry. While the incidents Fox discusses are military-related, the process of overcoming fear is not an exclusive military issue and the lessons Fox presents could be appreciated by anyone. I especially liked the details behind several motivating and historical Marine quotes in the final chapter; these stories exhibit how an action-based mindset is what turns fear into courage and why the Marine Corps are such a formidable force.
I like the purpose of this book and found Fox’s examples honest and interesting; it is not a chest-thumper. I have always been enamored with the steadfast pride that Marines have towards their service and Col. Fox is a fine example of this trait.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews