Courage is not some rationalization for evasion and denial.

A courageous person is someone fully rational, and fully aware of all the facts. Despite the facts, the courageous person resolves to take action anyway. This is the essence of courage. Some people think of courage as some kind of irrational "fearlessness" in which the courageous person rashly, blindly plunges into action -- hoping for the best. Yet courage without reason and facts is foolishness. And reason without the courage to act on them is similarly pointless.