What is Gratismut? (Explanation in English)

Do you know what „Gratismut“ is?

It’s a wonderful and very German word.

Literally it means: Free courage. Gratis + Mut.

But not „free“ as in „free as a bird.“

Or, „Officer, am I free to go?“

More „free“ as in „free beer“ or „here, have a free sausage (with your vaccination).“

Diet Coke Courage

Gratismut is pseudo-courage that costs you nothing. Gratismut is to courage what Diet Coke is to nutrition.

Gratismut, for example, is to declare publicly, „I am against whatever is considered bad today!“ (Wait for the applause.)

For example: Against Nazis.

And who gets to be called a „Nazi“? Ironically, today a „Nazi“ is whoever doesn’t conform to the only allowed „courageous“ opinion.

Gratismut can also mean to be for whatever one should be for on that day. For vaccination. For abortion. For open borders. Whatever hurts society the most, that is what you should be for, with your cost-free courage.

Applause And Contracts

Gratismut, this „free courage,“ is of course not only free – it can be quite profitable.

Showing the „right“ courage will get you movie roles and government contracts.

But you know what: watching people actually profess their Gratismut, I get the feeling it is not really free after all. And the profit comes with a hefty price tag, later.

Free courage costs you your soul, your self-respect, and your purpose, if you had any of these to begin with.

Practice Costly Courage

We need more people willing to practice costly courage.

Stand for something that standing for can cost you. It’s not courage when your only fear is the cost of not displaying it.

Say courageously what can cost you to say. And practice what you claim to stand for.

Even if you fail, even if it costs you everything while you feel you changed little, you will gain your soul.

Because you know what Jesus says:

For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul?

– Matthew 16:26