What is Brave? Who gets to judge that?

What does it mean to be brave? I've seen a lot written lately where certain people have been declared brave. Caitlyn Jenner, Tyra Banks...then it seems some people come and say no these people are not brave...saving someone from a burning building is brave. Having transgender surgery or posting a photo of yourself without makeup isn't brave.

Who is right? I suppose it is subjective in a sense. I wish we could all agree though that maybe each of us individually don't have the right to decide whether someone is being brave or not. There are possibly hundreds of different ways any one person can be brave.

Someone who is scared of heights climbing a mountain is brave. At least I'm sure they feel brave. They haven't changed the world or helped anyone...certainly it isn't on a par with saving someone from a burning building but if they feel proud of themselves then yep let's call them brave, what does it hurt?

Because what happens when actually literally saving a human life is the only thing we can all agree to call brave? Are these people brave? Of course! Though many of them may not even feel the slightest sense of achievement as they are good people who value human life who simply did what they felt they had to do. Yet it would seem next to that anything else is only brave if enough people tell you it is. Cancers survivors are thought of as brave. Quite rightly considering the gruelling road they face. Yet what choice did they have? They couldn't sit in the corner and stamp their feet saying they didn't want to fight cancer? They had to get on with and did so showing great courage. Does that mean people who make decisions that scare them but are not life and death are not brave? 

I think Caitlyn Jenner is brave. Our society still has so many stigmas coming out as a woman after so long living as a man would be very difficult. The fear of rejection could be crippling. I personally would never put a no makeup first thing in the morning selfie up anywhere on social media so I think Tyra is brave. Do they deserve medals? Have they saved lives? No but maybe by doing something that scares others they might just add to the positive change that is needed to make this world a better place. It's slow going. In 2015 one would think we would be an equal society where people could be who they want to be without fear but alas that is not so.

So I can't see how all this 'no that's not brave....this is brave' type one upping is helping anyone's cause. Because someone went in a lift today after a lifetime fear and gets called brave by her friends does not mean that a fireman saving a child from a burning house will not get his due. He may get a medal and the woman in the lift certainly won't. So can't they both be brave in their own way? If you have to go against the grain and do something that is scary to you then that is brave. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's not a competition.