Bravery or dogged endurance?

Consider another circumnavigation of the world. Ferdinand Magellan’s ship was of a size a little bigger than the smallest Sydney ferry. He bid farewell to his family while knowing that there was a far less than an even chance that he would ever see them again (he didn’t).

Although he had little idea of the size of the planet and an instrument for determining longitude had still to be invented, he intended to just keep sailing west. After rounding the tip of South America the ocean seems to go on forever into the nothingness of the Pacific. His food and water were putrid, everybody was weak and in pain from scurvy and suppurating sores. The crew would have liked to kill him and turn the ship back - but the man just kept going.

If Jessica was only interested in being greeted by family and friends, the media gave her no choice in the matter. Our government also seemed to have needed a hero, because included in the spectacular welcome Sydney gave Jessica and her pink boat, was about 200 square meters of publicly funded pink carpet.

Our uncomfortable awareness of our own failings can be worked up by external forces into paying homage to the success of a substitute for ourselves. Television coverage of the flotilla of boats escorting Jessica to the landing or the crowd dynamics felt by 10,000 people waiting at the Opera House created an oceanic feeling that all could share in. It was enough to put a tear in the eye of many who had never met her.

Conclusion

But where can we look for those who really dare? What about rock climbing? It may frighten you to even think about it - but the most dangerous part of a rock climber’s day is in driving to and from the site: the driving competence of others on the road cannot be managed by the climber.

The 21st century has few, if any, opportunities to be brave in the romantic sense. The heroic age of polar explorations ended in 1915. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh was only in danger for the 36 hours he was over the Atlantic (although it was mortal danger as all who had gone before had died in the attempt).

What was most admirable about the 16-year old sailor was her mental toughness in withstanding her solitary confinement for months. Many teenagers claimed that they were inspired by her to rise to a challenge - but very few would have the mind of someone like Jessica Watson.

Technology, and increasingly methodical training, is steadily bringing the risk of “risky” activities down to the level of the risk each of us takes walking home at night from a railway station. Today those who desire to have heroes in a world where risk has been managed almost out of existence are mostly mislabeling extraordinary endurance as an act of bravery.

But there are the heroes who are there to be appreciated if we make the effort to look their way. One example is the two middle-aged Australian Vietnam War veterans who volunteered to clear Cambodia of land mines which threaten to blow children’s feet off. To my knowledge they are still there and hoping that their luck holds out and they don’t lose any body parts.