The ER at 2 a.m. is full of people being brave without an audience. That’s what courage mostly looks like.

Most courage goes unphotographed. It happens in waiting rooms, on night shifts, in kitchens at odd hours, performed by people who are frightened and getting on with it anyway. The version with crowds and music is rare, and mostly a story told afterwards. Real bravery often looks like somebody sitting up straight and answering the next question.

Count the quiet version in yourself this week: the call you made, the night you stayed up with someone, the appointment you kept. And if you notice somebody doing it where nobody is looking, you can simply say that you saw it. That costs nothing and lasts a long time.