Courage

Abstract

In the mind of the civilian, what distinguishes war from almost any other activity is the danger involved. Yet five-sixths of the army are never in any physical danger at all. Therefore, it seems to me that physical courage exercises almost no influence on the outcome of a war. If we enter the narrower field of combat, physical courage generally exists in such equal quantities on both sides, as not to affect the outcome of a battle much one way or the other.