Section
Because courage is a noble disposition of the soul, four qualities stem from it—each both a manifestation and a fruit of that virtue:
• advancing when advancing is called for;
• refraining when refraining is called for;
• standing firm when firmness is called for; and
• withdrawing when withdrawal is called for.

Anything contrary to these undermines courage and takes one of three forms: cowardice, recklessness, or frivolous rashness.

When sound judgment and courage come together in a man(1), he is the one suited to directing armies and managing the conduct of war.

People therefore fall into three ranks: a man, half a man, and a non-entity.
– The man is he who combines accurate judgment(2) with courage; such a person is the complete man, as Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Mutanabbī(3) said: