Chivalry in a Postmodern World, Part 3: Courage
Chivalry in a Postmodern World, Part 3: Courage

Aviv Shahar with Marianne Ashcroft, Jeremy Stuart, Jerry Burchell, Nigel Greeves, Sus Friis Jorgensen, Boaz Bar Ilan

June 23, 2021
chivalry today

We're talking about the courage that arises in the face of opposition. The courage that's emergent, when one needs to not just stand one's ground, in the physical sense of defending one's land, even though that in many times required courage, as well. But more in the sense of standing your ground inside yourself in a sense of what is important for you, and the values you will choose to act in and fight for?

And we're also talking about courage in the sense of being prepared to step into the unknown, simply by, for example, following a passion or a conviction, or even a line of thought, or a line of discovery. Let that lead you, rather than thinking that you need to know in advance what the outcome will be.

You’re grounding this inquiry of chivalry in the clarity that this is not about fame; this is not about glory; this is not about personal achievement. The core essence is in this idea of being in service to a purpose, or something you believe in.

Aviv Shahar

Marianne Ashcroft

Marianne Ashcroft

Since I was a small child, I have always been searching for what's real and irrefutable. Not prepared to settle for the answers that others chose to give me, I set out to find out for myself why I'm here and what I'm here to do; what I'm part of and how I can honour my part in it.

I believe every life has a song to sing, and we can each discover our unique combination of notes from the talents, skills, perceptions and passions that each life is gifted with.

Jeremy Stuart

Jeremy Stuart

I have a long-standing fascination for perception, stemming from my study of art and photography. During the course, my view changed from 'I am a student of photography' to 'I am a student of life and myself,' in which looking through the lens of a camera focused this pursuit.
Having travelled whilst a student, I recognised that one of the powers of humanity is that together we make the world we choose, whether we consciously realise that or not. And what life turns out like starts in the mind - with a question, an insight, an appreciation, a vision.
I believe that inside everyone lives genius, whether active or yet to appear; and that it is a great service to try to foster it in oneself and in others. When people feel safe enough to exchange freely and honestly, with respect for each other and their differences, exciting things happen. That's why I'm here.
Sus Friis Jorgensen

Sus Friis Jorgensen

It would appear that life is a long line of changes - and seemingly not a straight line and neither a one line! Whenever I attempted to sort out my life, once and for all, I mostly ended up engaging with the most unpredictable and surprising aspects of life - as if life itself didn’t want me to put it into a foreseeable outcome: The journey started along educational pathways leading to classical physics. Then leaps happened and I continued along an artistic line as a professional dancer working at theatres & art schools and - later again - teaching instead of performing.

Now, I find myself at the point of starting all over, so.. changes.

It is still a complete enigma to me what being alive is all about. I am still writing “my own ticket” in life to become a self-chosen, best-version of being me, being human.

Aviv Shahar

Aviv Shahar

Aviv is the Founder of Aviv Consulting, helping leaders unleash strategic innovation, and is the author of Create New Futures: How Leaders Produce Breakthroughs and Transform the World Through Conversation.