Why Courage & Compassion Are the Ultimate Life Hacks | (#153) The Masculine Psychology Podcast with David Tian

Welcome to the Masculine Psychology Podcast, where we answer key questions in relationships, attraction, success, and fulfillment. Now, here’s your host, world-renowned therapist and life coach, David Tian.

David:

Welcome to the Masculine Psychology podcast. I’m David Tian, your host. In this episode, we’re exploring two of the most crucial moral virtues, courage and compassion. These aren’t just abstract concepts. They’re virtues that we need to cultivate and apply in our daily lives if we want to have fulfillment, meaning and happiness. This is especially true now in these highly polarized times, where fear and hatred seem to drive people to extremes.

Why are courage and compassion so important for this? It’s because, as you might have heard, hurt people hurt people. It’s a vicious cycle of fear and retribution. But we can break that vicious cycle. It takes courage to be compassionate, to reach out and understand rather than demonize and dehumanize. [01:09.5]

So, courage isn’t just about facing external challenges. It’s about facing our inner demons as well, the parts of ourselves that we often try to ignore or suppress. The therapeutic process teaches us to approach these parts with curiosity and compassion, but it takes real courage to look inward and confront our pain. True compassion doesn’t mean being a doormat. It’s about understanding and empathizing with others, even those who have wronged us.

Virtue ethics emphasizes the balance of virtues. Courage without compassion can lead to aggression, while compassion without courage can lead to passivity. We need both in order to navigate life’s challenges effectively. [01:54.7]

When someone wrongs us, the natural reaction is to seek revenge, or what we think of as justice, but responding with compassion requires a different kind of strength. It’s about balancing justice and mercy, setting boundaries while still seeing the humanity in others. Forgiveness plays a crucial role here. It’s not about letting people off the hook, but instead freeing ourselves from the burden of resentment.

Okay, so I’ve broken this down into five major sections or points, and the first one is to examine these virtues from the perspective of IFS therapy. That’s Internal Family Systems therapy, a scientifically-proven and evidence-based model for psychotherapy, and in my opinion, the best overall experiential psychotherapy approach.

Internal Family Systems therapy views our psyche as a system made up of various parts, each with its own needs, emotions and roles. You can imagine it like an internal family with each part acting as a family member. Some parts of us protect us by managing our day-to-day lives and other parts hold the concentration of our pain and trauma. [03:05.5]

At the core of this system is the concept of the True Self, which is our Higher Self, our core Self that is naturally courageous and compassionate. IFS therapy teaches us that our True Self isn’t something that we need to create or develop. It’s already there, waiting to be discovered and brought to the forefront. The challenge lies in accessing this True Self and allowing it to lead. This process involves recognizing and understanding our different parts and their roles. It’s like being a compassionate leader for your internal family.

Courage and compassion are inherent qualities of your True Self. When we’re connected to this core of ourselves, we can approach our internal parts with understanding and empathy, and this connection allows us to face our inner conflicts and our painful traumas with courage. It’s not about bulldozing through our pain, but about gently confronting it with the strength and steadiness of our True Selves. [04:08.1]

Okay, let’s break this down with some examples to make it more concrete. Imagine you have a part of you that feels intense shame. This part might be hidden away, causing you pain and influencing your behavior in ways that you’re not even aware of. In IFS therapy, you don’t try to force this part to change or to disappear. Instead, you approach it with curiosity and with compassion. You acknowledge its pain and understand its role in your system. This compassionate approach takes courage, because it means facing feelings and memories that you might have been avoiding for years.

Healing in IFS happens when these wounded parts of us feel heard and understood. It’s like bringing a hurting child into your arms and telling them it’s okay to feel what they’re feeling. This process requires the courage to face discomfort and the compassion to provide a safe space for healing. As these parts of us begin to heal, they integrate into our internal systems in a healthier way, reducing internal conflict and promoting overall wellbeing. [05:17.5]

Let’s take another example. Picture someone who struggles with anger. In IFS therapy, we look at anger not as an enemy, but as a part of the system that’s trying to protect us. Maybe there’s a part of us underneath that anger, holding deep hurt or fear. By connecting with our Higher Self or True Self, we can approach this angry part of us with compassion. We can listen to what it’s trying to protect us from, and understand its fears, and this courageous act of facing and acknowledging the anger without judgment allows for genuine healing and later integration. [05:57.4]

Through this process, we learn to respond rather than simply react, the anger no longer controls us because we’ve understood and addressed its root causes. The compassion of our True Self helps soothe the hurt. Our True Self’s courage helps us face our part’s fears. Our internal systems become more harmonious with less internal conflict and more internal cooperation.

So, how can you start applying IFS principles in your own life? You can begin with simple mindfulness. Pay attention to your internal dialogs. You can even journal and write these down. That’s very helpful, generally. Notice when different parts of you are active. Maybe there’s a part that’s critical or a part that feels anxious. Instead of pushing these parts away, take a moment to listen to them, acknowledge their presence and try to understand their concerns and fears.

Next, you can practice self-compassion. Remember that every part of you is trying to help in its own way. They all have positive intent, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Approach your parts with kindness and curiosity rather than judgment, and this shift in mindset is transformative, helping you to see your inner conflicts in a new light. [07:13.3]

Finally, practice connecting with your Higher Self, your True Self, this core of you that is naturally calm, compassionate, and courageous. Spend time in activities that help you feel centered and connected to this core of yourself. This could be meditation, journaling, or simply taking a quiet, reflective walk in nature. The more you connect with your True Self, the more you can lead your internal system with courage and compassion. The really beautiful part about this is, if you focus on connecting with your True Self, the more connected with your Higher Self or True Self you are, the more courage and compassion you will naturally have.

Now let’s move on to the second point and this is a more practical point about how to respond to those who wrong us with a virtuous approach, balancing justice and mercy. This is a crucial aspect of integrating courage and compassion into our lives. [08:08.8]

We all encounter situations where people hurt us, intentionally or not. How we respond to these wrongs will define our character and will deeply influence how our relationships go. Okay, let’s start by talking about the balance between justice and mercy. When someone wrongs us, our immediate reaction might be to seek justice, to make things right, or to protect ourselves or to preemptively attack them.

Justice is important. It sets boundaries and ensures that we don’t become doormats or get taken advantage of. But what happens when we swing too far in the extreme towards justice without any mercy? We risk becoming harsh and unforgiving, and becoming the perpetrator ourselves, becoming guilty of the very infraction that we’re accusing the other of. On the flip side of that, if we lean too heavily on mercy without justice, we might allow ourselves to be mistreated repeatedly. [09:04.7]

Finding the right balance requires courage and compassion, courage to stand up for ourselves and set healthy boundaries and compassion to understand the other person’s perspective. It’s not easy, of course, but it’s essential for our emotional health and our integrity. Take a moment to reflect on a time when someone wronged you. How did you react? Did you seek revenge or did you try to understand their actions? Maybe you did a bit of both. The key is to recognize that both justice and mercy have their place. It’s about finding that middle path where you protect yourself and also remain open to understanding others.

Now, courage in this context might mean standing up for yourself, asserting your boundaries and ensuring that you’re treated with respect. It’s about recognizing that your feelings and experiences matter. When you set healthy boundaries, you’re not just protecting yourself. You’re also teaching others how to treat you, and this act requires self-respect and the courage to enforce it. [10:08.0]

But courage alone isn’t enough. We need compassion to balance it out. Compassion helps us see beyond our pain and understand the motivations and struggles of those who wronged us. It doesn’t mean excusing their behavior, but instead recognizing their humanity, everyone has a story and a backstory, and often people act out of their own wounds and fears. By approaching these situations with compassion, we can finally break this vicious cycle of hurt and retaliation.

Now we can move to forgiveness. Forgiveness is one of the most powerful acts of courage and compassion. It’s not about condoning the wrong or forgetting that it ever happened. Instead, it’s about freeing yourself from the burden of resentment. When you hold onto anger and bitterness, you carry a heavy load. Forgiveness allows you to let go of this weight and find peace in yourself. [11:07.0]

Forgiveness benefits then both the forgiver and the forgiven. For the forgiver, it’s a release, a way to move forward without being held down and tethered to past hurts. For the forgiven, it’s a chance for redemption and growth. Forgiveness opens the door to reconciliation, but it doesn’t guarantee it. Reconciliation requires effort and willingness from both parties. It’s a process that involves rebuilding trust and understanding.

How can you achieve genuine forgiveness without compromising your integrity or wellbeing? You can start with self-reflection. Acknowledge your feelings and the impact of the wrong. Allow yourself to feel anger, hurt, and sadness. These emotions are valid, and in these contexts, healthy and normal. [11:57.5]

Next, consider the perspective of the person who wronged you, what might have motivated their actions. This doesn’t excuse their behavior, but it helps you to understand it, and in this way, you get power over the situation and over yourself. Then decide if you’re ready to forgive. Forgiveness is a choice. It’s not an obligation. It’s a personal process that unfolds in its own time.

Sometimes you might forgive, but still need to maintain boundaries to protect yourself. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you have to reconcile or have to return to the same relationship dynamic. If you choose to then pursue reconciliation, communicate openly with the other person. Express your feelings and boundaries clearly. Listen to their side with an open heart and mind. Rebuilding trust takes time and effort from both parties. Be patient and compassionate with yourself and with them. [12:56.5]

Okay, let’s give a real life example to flesh this out. Let’s say you had a friend who betrayed your trust. Initially, you might feel a surge of anger and hurt. You might want to cut them off completely, but after some reflection, you realize that their betrayal stemmed from their own insecurities and fears, so you decide to forgive them, not for their sake, but for your own peace of mind. You communicate your feelings to them and you set new healthy boundaries for the relationship. Over time, with mutual effort, you might rebuild your friendship on a stronger foundation.

So, responding to those who wrong us with a virtuous approach involves balancing justice and mercy. It involves practicing forgiveness and potentially pursuing reconciliation, if possible. It’s about integrating courage and compassion into our responses, ensuring that we protect ourselves while remaining open to understanding others, and this balance fosters emotional resilience, personal growth and healthier relationships. [14:00.8]

Now my third point is to illustrate the power of compassion, courage, forgiveness and reconciliation by taking a brief look at Nelson Mandela’s life. His overall, broad story is a testament to these virtues in action. Okay, so in case you didn’t know, Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison. He was, during much of that time, labeled a terrorist by the U.S. government, by the way. He was subjected to harsh conditions and unjust treatment, and it would have been easy for him to become consumed by anger and a desire for revenge. But Mandela chose a different path. He chose courage and compassion.

Mandela’s courage was evident in his unwavering commitment to justice. Even in the face of extreme adversity, he stood firm in his beliefs. He didn’t compromise his values or back down from his pursuit of equality. His courage inspired millions and laid the groundwork for significant change in South Africa. But Mandela’s story isn’t just about courage. More importantly, I think, and more rare, it’s about compassion. [15:03.2]

Despite the suffering he endured, he didn’t let bitterness take root. Instead, he sought to understand his oppressors. He saw them not just as enemies, but as human beings shaped by their circumstances and beliefs. This compassionate perspective was crucial in his efforts to bridge the deep divides in South African society back then.

When Mandela was finally released from prison, he faced a monumental decision. He could have sought revenge against those who wronged him, and many would have supported him in that, but he chose forgiveness instead. Mandela understood that holding on to anger would only perpetuate the vicious cycle of hatred and violence. By forgiving his oppressors, he freed himself from the burden of resentment and set a powerful example for others. [15:54.4]

Forgiveness was just the beginning. Mandela also pursued reconciliation. He recognized that lasting peace required more than just ending apartheid. It required healing the nation’s wounds. He worked tirelessly to bring people together, fostering dialog and understanding between former enemies. His efforts culminated in the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a groundbreaking initiative that allowed victims and perpetrators to share their stories and seek mutual forgiveness.

No matter their physical strength, for many men, emotions are too much for them to handle. It’s why they can’t give women the deeper levels of emotional intimacy and connection that they crave. It’s why they fail to be the man that modern women desire most: a man with inner strength, a man who has mastered his emotions.

Find out how to master your emotions through David Tian’s “Emotional Mastery” program. The Emotional Mastery program is a step-by-step system that integrates the best of empirically-verified psychotherapy methods and reveals how to master your internal state and develop the inner strength that makes you naturally attractive, happy, and fulfilled.

Learn more about this transformational program by going to DavidTianPhD.com/EmotionalMastery.

That’s D-A-V-I-D-T-I-A-N-P-H-D [dot] com [slash] emotional mastery.

Mandela’s journey shows us that true leadership involves more than just strength and determination. It requires the courage to stand up for what’s right, the compassion to see the humanity in others, and the willingness to forgive and reconcile. His bringing together the more stereotypically masculine virtue of courage with the stereotypically feminine virtue of compassion, and fusing them in harmony, is like the unity depicted in the yin-yang symbol in ancient Chinese philosophy. But these virtues aren’t just lofty ideals, they’re practical tools for building a better world in life. [17:59.5]

By embodying these qualities, Mandela transformed a nation and inspired people around the globe, including me. His legacy reminds us that we, too, can choose courage and compassion in our own lives and relationships. We can face our challenges with strength, approach others with empathy and seek reconciliation, even in the face of deep divisions.

Let me reiterate, this is not easy. The fact that there are so few examples of bringing together courage and compassion in this way, how rare it, is a sign of how difficult it is. But when it comes to deep conflict, it’s the only path that leads to healing and growth, both for ourselves and for those around us.

Okay, so the fourth point is to get into some practical strategies for cultivating courage and compassion in our daily lives. These virtues don’t just happen to us overnight. They can be nurtured and developed through consistent practice. In IFS therapy, the True Self doesn’t have a monopoly on courage and compassion. Many of our parts can have courage and can have compassion, and some of them can have both. [19:05.3]

As far as accessing the True Self, because the more of your self-energy you can access, the more naturally courage and compassion will come online in your mind and your heart, in that sense, what needs to be practiced is also accessing your Higher Self, your True Self. 

Now, as for the IFS method of accessing your True Self and speaking with your parts and so on, I recommend that instead of trying to do it on your own, that you do invest to work with a professional who can guide you through it, because I’ve seen a lot of people, and myself included many, many years ago, almost a decade ago, trying to learn the process from a book and some online courses with recordings, and only later discovering that it was more pseudo-IFS. It wasn’t the real thing.

Luckily for me, I discovered that pretty early on in that process, but I’ve worked with people who have done self-therapy in IFS that have had to undo lots of misconceptions and some damage with their exiled parts. So, when it comes to the IFS process, I do recommend that you start off with a professional guide who can lead you through it. [20:11.2]

But there are also plenty of other exercises and habits and practices that can get you started for free in many cases. Okay, so first, let’s talk about mindfulness practices. Mindfulness helps you stay present and aware of your thoughts and emotions. This awareness is crucial for developing both courage and compassion.

You can start with simple breathing exercises, spending a few minutes each day focusing on your breath. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breathing. This practice can help you stay grounded and centered, making it easier to face challenges with courage and respond to others with compassion. There are many mindfulness meditation apps and mindfulness apps, so you can start with any of those. [20:56.3]

Self-reflection exercises are another powerful tool. Take time each day to reflect on your actions and reactions. Journaling can be particularly helpful here. I wouldn’t limit yourself to the Five Minute Journal kind of way. If you have more than five minutes, I would do something like a Morning Pages, Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages practice.

In this type of stream of consciousness journaling, you write about your thoughts, feelings, your experiences, whatever is coming up, whatever is in your mind, especially any situations where you have felt challenged or wronged. Reflect on how you responded and how you could have incorporated more courage or compassion. This process helps you understand your patterns and make conscious changes.

When you face challenging situations, you can take proactive steps to practice courage and compassion. If you need to set a boundary, do it with firmness, but also with empathy. Acknowledge the other person’s feelings while standing your ground. If someone wrongs you, take a moment to consider their perspective before reacting. It doesn’t mean excusing their behavior, but it helps you respond from a place of understanding, rather than only anger. [22:07.7]

Getting professional guidance from a therapeutic coach is incredibly beneficial on all of these points. A therapeutic coach can provide personalized strategies and support you as you work on developing these virtues. They can help you navigate complex emotions and situations. They can offer you insights and techniques that you might not have discovered on your own or haven’t learned how to customize for your unique situation or background.

Okay, so let’s look at some real-life examples to understand better the practicalities of this.

Okay, so one of my clients, let’s call him James, came to me struggling with anger and resentment towards his father. James’ father had been emotionally distant and critical, leaving James with deep-seated feelings of inadequacy. Through our work together, James learned to approach his emotions with mindfulness and awareness. He practiced self-reflection and journaling, which helped him understand better the roots of his anger. [23:03.4]

James also began to see his father’s actions through a lens of compassion as James was able to access more of his Higher Self. He realized his father’s behavior stemmed from his own unresolved issues and fears, and with that understanding, James was able to find the courage to have an open and honest conversation with his father. He set healthy boundaries, expressed his feelings and needs without blame, and this courageous act of vulnerability and the compassion to understand his father’s struggles led to a significant improvement in their relationship and a huge improvement in James’ sense of wellbeing and happiness, and they started building a more honest and supportive connection.

Okay, so another client, let’s call him Sam, dealt with a betrayal from a close friend. He was hurt and angry, and struggling to move past the incident. We worked on mindfulness practices to help him stay present with his emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them. Many of these exercises I’ve included in my Emotional Mastery program. [24:04.5]

In addition, through self-reflection exercises, Sam realized that holding onto anger was only hurting himself. He found the courage to forgive his friend, not to absolve the wrongdoing, but to free himself from the burden of resentment. Sam approached his friend with compassion, trying to understand the motivations behind this betrayal, and they ended up having a heartfelt conversation where both of them expressed their feelings and took responsibility for their actions. This process of forgiveness and reconciliation allowed Sam to heal and eventually rebuild a stronger and more honest connection with this friend.

These examples show that cultivating courage and compassion is a journey. It requires consistent effort and practice, but the rewards are life-changing. By integrating these virtues into your daily life, you can navigate conflicts and challenges with much greater ease and grace. You’ll build stronger and more fulfilling relationships, and develop a deeper sense of inner peace and control over your own inner state. [25:06.8]

The fifth point is to understand the long-term benefits of cultivating and integrating courage and compassion into your life. They’re intrinsically valuable for their own sake. In and of themselves, as you feel courage and compassion, they are already rewarding, empowering and make life a lot more enjoyable.

First, let’s talk about emotional and psychological resilience. When you consistently practice courage and compassion, you build a solid foundation for dealing with life’s ups and downs. Courage allows you to face challenges head-on without running away, whether it’s standing up for yourself in a tough situation or confronting your own fears and insecurities. Courage gives you the strength to keep going.

Compassion, on the other hand, softens the edges. It allows you to approach your own struggles and the struggles of others with kindness and understanding. When you combine these two, you become emotionally resilient. You bounce back from setbacks quicker and you don’t let failures define you. Instead of being overwhelmed by negative emotions, you learn to navigate them with grace. [26:14.4]

Better mental health is another significant benefit. Courage and compassion help you break free from the cycle of negative thinking. When you’re courageous, you don’t shy away from difficult emotions, or situations or conversations. You face them, deal with them, and then you move on. Compassion helps you be gentle with yourself during this process. You stop beating yourself up for every little mistake and start treating yourself with the same kindness that you’d offer a friend.

This shift in mindset can lead to reduced anxiety, reduced depression, and overall, better mental health. Then there are the relationship benefits. Strong, fulfilling relationships are built on a foundation of courage and compassion. [26:58.1]

Courage allows you to be honest and vulnerable with those that you care about. You express your needs and boundaries clearly, and you stand up for yourself when necessary. Compassion helps you understand and empathize with others. It allows you to forgive, to see things from their perspective and to connect on a deeper level. When both of these virtues are present, your relationships become more authentic, supportive and fulfilling.

Now let’s come at this from the vantage point of personal growth and finding fulfillment. By consistently practicing courage and compassion, you’re not just reacting to situations; you’re shaping your character, the character that you are developing. You’re becoming the kind of person who can handle life’s challenges with strength and with kindness.

Personal growth also comes from deeply experiencing and processing your emotions. When you face your fears with courage and approach your pain with compassion, you engage in a deep, transformative process. You learn more about yourself, your values, your purpose. This leads to a greater sense of personal growth and fulfillment and happiness. [28:07.6]

Imagine going through life without courage or compassion. You might avoid challenges out of fear or might be so hard on yourself that you never feel truly happy and burn out. Without courage, you miss out on opportunities for growth and change, but without compassion, you carry unnecessary burdens of guilt and resentment. But with these virtues of courage and compassion, life then becomes a journey of continuous growth and learning. You become more resilient, more at peace with yourself and more connected to others.

In the long run, integrating courage and compassion into your life transforms your entire outlook and experience of life. You start to see challenges as opportunities for growth, rather than threats. You approach your own and others’ imperfections with kindness and understanding, and this mindset shift leads to a more fulfilling and meaningful life. [29:01.1]

We can all take simple, small steps every day to cultivate these virtues. We can all practice mindfulness, reflect on our actions and seek to understand others, and over time, we’ll find that courage and compassion become second nature, and the benefits will permeate every aspect of our lives.

Okay, so let’s recap the major points we’ve covered today. We started by exploring the concepts of courage and compassion through the lens of IFS therapy, seeing how these virtues help us heal and integrate our inner parts. We then discussed balancing justice and mercy when responding to those who wronged us, emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries with courage while maintaining compassion to understand others’ perspectives.

We then moved on to the powerful acts of forgiveness and reconciliation, highlighting how these virtues benefit both the forgiver and the forgiven. I then shared some real life examples of people who have successfully integrated courage and compassion to navigate their personal conflicts and achieve genuine healing and growth. I shared some practical strategies, like mindfulness self-reflection, and how to seek the right type of professional guidance to help you cultivate courage and compassion in your daily life. [30:15.2]

Finally, we explored the long term benefits of integrating courage and compassion. These virtues increase emotional resilience, improve your mental health, and lead to stronger, more fulfilling relationships. They also contribute to personal growth and a deeper sense of fulfillment.

Now let’s take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Cultivating courage and compassion isn’t just about improving our own lives. They’re also crucial virtues for creating a more peaceful world. Forgiveness and reconciliation aren’t just personal acts; they’re powerful tools for social change. In hotspots around the world, like Israel and Palestine, courage and compassion can be transformative. These regions are often driven by deep-seated fear and hatred fueled by a dehumanizing view of the other. It takes immense courage to break this vicious cycle. It takes courage to stand up against the tide of hatred and say, “I choose to understand rather than simply fear.” [31:17.6]

Compassion allows us to see the humanity in those that we once viewed as enemies. It bridges the gap and opens the door to dialog and peace. When we can find the courage to forgive and the compassion to seek reconciliation, we contribute to a larger movement towards peace overall. This is not an easy path, of course, but it is a necessary one. By cultivating these virtues within ourselves, we can inspire others to do the same, creating ripples of change that extend far beyond our immediate circles.

As we wrap up today’s episode, remember that the work you do on yourself matters. Cultivating courage and compassion isn’t just about personal growth. It’s about contributing to a more understanding, forgiving and peaceful world. Each act of courage, each moment of compassion, brings us one step closer to a better future for everyone. [32:17.5]

Thank you so much for listening. If this has benefited you in any way, please share it with anyone else that you think could benefit from it. Thanks so much. I look forward to welcoming you to the next episode. Until then, David Tian, signing out.