I asked ten teachers and staff, "Do you have a negative or positive connotation of the word, audacity?" All responses were quick and definitive; it was negative. We teachers tend to associate and label actions, behaviors, and tangible manifestations on the part of students as audacious. I can imagine, when I was younger and romping with my friends, older ladies being aghast by the outlandish words we spoke, or the inappropriate nature of our loud and rambunctious actions, albeit playful. We, at times, could audaciously go against the norm--unrestrained by a social convention set for children. People could 'see' the imprudence, could witness the immodest breaking of decorum..."Oh, the audacity of these youngsters!"
Audacity comes from the Latin (16c) word, audacia meaning "boldness" ---and it really is a word with two plausible meanings. On one hand, the positive meaning of the word is abstract. For example, someone can possess an undaunted spirit, and invulnerability to fear and intimidation. We don't witness this aspect of the word often enough in our world. On the other hand, the negative meaning is more concrete, thus, we probably 'see' it more often.
The negative denotation is more tangible because it is based on the behaviors we witness,--actions of someone who goes against societal boundaries. A person who has audacity is someone who obviously is not or will not blush because there is no concern to stay within the propriety of accepted norms. This would hold true with adults and their behavior as well, and there are too many examples of this today, unfortunately. We think of audacity as negative because, ultimately, we 'see' the definition played out more frequently than the positive aspects of the word.
I can understand and appreciate more fully, however, how the meaning of this word has been beautifully embodied. I thought of the fearless explorers who had to have had a good measure of audacity to embark and venture intrepidly across virgin lands and seas. They had to be bold in their pursuits. They embarked with a fearlessness of the unknown. Now, that's audacious!
I can 'see' the audacity of the seasons as the intimidations of winter's bouts of blight are taken over by the audaciousness of Spring. Things in nature which seem so fragile and simple can be examples of audacity, a dandelion pushing through the boundary of a hardened earth, the boldness of sun rays rallying through the clouds bringing pleasant warmth, and even a butterfly, which endeavors to alight on a flower even though his wings are no longer perfect. Now, that's audacious!
Think of a personal hero. Do they not possess an unyielding motivation? Do they not go against the forces of timidity? An example for me is found in the life of Wilma Rudolph. She had a fearless, audacious spirit. She had to be bold and brave to not succumb to all the childhood maladies she endured-- from scarlet fever to polio. She was determined beyond measure to not only walk again but battled with great fortitude to become an Olympic champion. She triumphed over many obstacles...and that took an audacious heart and mind. Now, that's audacious!
Perhaps we could don an audacious robe of courage once in awhile and sit as a guest at the table of life and heed the words of Shakespeare in his play Love's Labour's Lost: Be not..."sharp and sententious; [be] pleasant without scurrility, witty without affection, audacious without impudency, learned without opinion, and strange without heresy."
Perhaps, at the very least, we could exhibit an audacious mindset which says...
I dared...at least I tried.