My first thought of valor was related to being brave enough to stand up for what one believes.
Today I thought about valor in the sense of fairness and justice. If valor is standing up to injustice in defense of the virtues of the heart, then justice must be reflected upon. I thought of a universal sense of fairness. It seems to me, that this sense of fairness generally transcends language and culture to some extent, except in the most restricted views of religion.
Valor is paradoxical in the sense that it is easily understood at the surface—standing up for what one believes. Thus, there are the secondary qualities of courage, bravery, heroism, etc. But, the deeper issue for me is, “How do I know that my convictions are more justified than someone else’s? Is the Christian right or the Muslim? Is science more justified than religion in defining reality? Is the state more justified in establishing the rules of reality than the individual? Is one person more valorous than another when it comes to defending one’s beliefs? Who is the most justified?
At some point valor must be turned toward one’s self as reason brings deeper understanding and lesser truths are replaced by more complete truths. If people hold to “truths” that reason and understanding prove to be incomplete (even false), then they are doing themselves an injustice.
The big question remains: How do we know that the strength of our convictions (valor) is just? It seems to me that the foundation and basis of valor must be a constant monitoring of one’s beliefs about morals and ethics, fairness and equanimity. The origin of such measures is a bit of a mystery. Do they stem from the energetic heart, which in turn generates them from the soul, which receives them directly from First Source via Source Intelligence? I believe this is true, but why do I believe it? This belief gives me valor, but how did this belief enter my mind and heart?
If I begin to form doubts about my religious beliefs, but cannot face such thoughts without tremendous guilt and fear, I am not practicing valor. But when I can face these internal changes (produced by reason and understanding) and acknowledge my transformation, then I am practicing valor.
