1
general::
see COURAGE OF ONE'S CONVICTIONS., Behave according to one's beliefs. For example, Carl wouldn't give his best friend any of the test answers; he had the courage of his convictions. This expression is believed to have originated as a translation of the French le courage de son opinion ("the courage of his opinion"), dating from the mid1800s and at first so used. By the late 1800s it had changed to the present form.
American Heritage Idioms