“Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues” -John Locke

Fortitude is that strength or firmness of mind or soul which enables a person to encounter danger with coolness and courage, or to bear pain or adversity without murmuring, depression or despondency. Fortitude is the basis or source of genuine courage or intrepidity in danger, of patience in suffering, of forbearance under injuries, and of magnanimity in all conditions of life. 

We sometimes confound the effect with the cause and use fortitude as synonymous with courage or patience, but courage is an active virtue or vice, and patience is the effect of fortitude.

For Example Alexander returned to his see triumphant, but died soon after, and was succeeded by Athanasius, his deacon, with whose indomitable fortitude.

This condition of the mind can be obtained only by "living conformably to nature," that is to say, one's whole nature, and as a means to that man must cultivate the four chief virtues, each of which has its distinct sphere - wisdom, or the knowledge of good and evil; justice, or the giving to every man his due; fortitude, or the enduring of labour and pain; and temperance, or moderation in all things.

John Locke, the well-known philosopher rightly said that "Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues".

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