Encouraging someone is different from motivating someone. I…

What is courage?

That is my next thought. I've felt as though I've understood it before, but now I am questioning it again.

Motivation needs to come from within oneself, I think, to be sustainable. Courage = feeling the fear but doing it anyways (if it's difficult, hopefully not stupid)?

Interesting thought. I wonder if this difference between both words can be formulated only by thinking mind and body separately. If I am motivated I have arguments to do something (rational,mind). If I have courage I have self-confidence (emotions,body).

Agreed - Internal motivations are almost always more resilient than external motivations.

I'm not sure courage is primarily about fear. Feels more like bravery to me. There's something more here.

I don't see a distinction along those lines.

It seems more to me like motivation is having a reason in the moment, while courage is having principles and the knowledge that what you're doing is right, so you should continue, even when all is against you.

Essentially, it's shallow vs deep reasons to do something, if that makes sense.

At least, that's how I'm thinking about it right now.

Do you mean that both motivation and encouragement are based on reasons, but motivation on more shallow reasons than encouragement? It may be important to know if it is about encouraging myself or someone else. Please forgive me my limited English..

Yes, that is the thought. I'm still not sure if that's right or not, though.

I'm still working through it.

They have the same reasons, but encouraging has something extra. I've never thought of it that way. Perhaps the difference has to do with certainty compared to trust. I'm going to think about this.

The way I'm thinking it through is to flip the perspective. If I am driven by motivation vs courage.