Courage is a quality that manifests itself in a person when it is really needed. He weighs his actions and thinks whether the goal is such a risk? However, there are also reckless brave men who go ahead without thinking, whether courage should be shown or not. They do this simply for the sake of adrenaline or approval in society. I will explain my arguments based on examples from the literature.
Junker Grushnitsky, the hero of the novel M.Yu. Lermontov's “Hero of Our Time” was known as a brave man, but all his actions were just reckless pranks to satisfy his own egocentrism. Indeed, the conditions of service in the Caucasus make a person bolder even if only outwardly. He is a very brave warrior, but only outside. But at heart, this is a vile, cowardly, narcissistic man, for whom the main thing is to produce an effect. This property of his nature is best revealed in his duel with the main character, Pechorin. Grushnitsky called his friend to a duel because of the girl he liked. However, this duel was criminal in essence: the cunker and his friends decided not to load the Pechorin revolver. He unraveled this maneuver, was able to survive, and Grushnitsky died, having not found the courage to confess to meanness. This is how reckless people behave, this is not courage at all.
Another example was described by Sholokhov in his work “The Fate of Man.” The hero was an ordinary, not outstanding citizen, but in battle he proved himself a brave warrior. But the most striking act of Andrei at the front was the killing of a traitor with his bare hands, when he and his comrades were captured by the Germans. One of the captives planned to betray the commander in order to get some privileges from those who guarded them. He thought betrayal would save his life, but she ruined her. Sokolov could not put up with injustice and found in himself the moral strength to eradicate it, although he risked himself. This noble gesture has a pronounced lofty goal: to protect a comrade who honestly did his duty.
Thus, reckless courage is a risk for the sake of approval in society, devoid of the real meaning embodied in vital necessity. It is better to refrain from such a manifestation of courage so as not to risk yourself in vain.
