Courage

What does it mean to be courageous? Is it an automatic response or a conscious choice? TED speakers examine the nature of courage and what it takes to risk everything to do the right thing.

• Former CEO Margaret Heffernan talks about the danger of "willful blindness" and praises ordinary people who are willing to speak up. She tells the story of Gayla Benefield, who uncovered an awful secret about her hometown and spoke up even when it was hard.

• Reporter Janine di Giovanni has covered countless wars, including conflict in Bosnia, Sierra Leone and most recently Syria. She tells stories of everyday human courage in conflict zones.

• Sharing cases from her international legal practice, Kimberley Motley, an American litigator practicing in Afghanistan, shows how a country's own laws can bring both justice and "justness."

• Doctors in the U.S. don't have to tell patients about conflicts of interest. When physician Leana Wen asked her fellow doctors to open up, the reaction she got was frightening.

Photo: iStock