Which term denotes the resolve to do what is right, even if it costs you?

• A. Hardiness of Spirit
• B. Courage
• C. Moral Courage
• D. Intellectual Humility

Answer: (C)

Moral courage is the willingness to act according to what’s right even when doing so comes at a personal cost. It isn’t just bravery in the face of danger; it’s bravery that is guided by ethical principles, where the right action is chosen despite fear, risk, or potential loss to you.

Hardiness of spirit describes enduring hardship and staying the course, which is about resilience rather than specifically behaving for ethical reasons. Courage alone can mean bravery in any situation, not necessarily tied to doing the right thing when it costs you. Intellectual humility centers on recognizing what you don’t know and being open to new information, not on acting for moral reasons under pressure.

So the term that best captures the resolve to do what is right, even at personal cost, is moral courage.