Man, like any living being, is subject to fear. This is a completely normal phenomenon, which reflects the instinct of self-preservation. Only in life there are circumstances that require a person to overcome this fear, that is, to suppress the primitive instinct in himself. Such a task is not at all easy, so it is not surprising that people show cowardice. This concept will be considered today.
What does cowardice mean?
Cowardice is the behavior of a person in a certain situation when he refuses to make decisions or actively act because of fear or other phobias. Cowardice is undoubtedly driven by fear, and this concept must be distinguished from caution or prudence. Once V. Rumyantsev noted that cowardice is an escape from a possible danger without its preliminary adequate assessment.
In psychology, cowardice is considered a negative quality. This is a mental weakness that does not allow you to perform proper actions.
Understanding cowardice according to Theophrastus
The ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus said that cowardice is a mental weakness thatdoes not allow a person to face his fear. A cowardly person can easily mistake cliffs for pirate ships or prepare to die as soon as the waves start to rise. If a coward suddenly gets into a war, then at the sight of how his comrades are dying, he will certainly pretend that he has forgotten his weapon and return to the camp. There, the coward will hide the sword away and will pretend to be intensified searches. He will do anything to avoid fighting enemies. Even if one of his comrades is wounded, he will look after him, but when the soldiers begin to return from the battlefield, without a doubt, the coward will run out to meet them, all smeared with the blood of his comrade and will tell that he personally carried him out of hell of a fight.
Here is such a vivid example of cowardice Theophrastus brings, trying to reveal the essence of this concept. But whether it's now or thousands of years ago, human nature hasn't changed - cowards act the same.
Cowardice and courage
The feeling of fear is known to all people. There has never been, is not and never will be a person who is not afraid of anything. Only some retreat in the face of danger, while others break themselves and go towards their fear. Such people are called courageous. But if a person does not do this, and after a while he is forced by others to a certain action, then without a doubt, he will receive the nickname of a coward. The inability and unwillingness to cope with their fears will forever put a corresponding stigma on a person.
Defeating cowardice is not easy. Take courage, show courageevery person is potentially capable of such acts, but if cowardice is already firmly rooted in him, he becomes its helpless slave. Cowardice does everything not to show itself, it is an invisible shadow with great destructive power.
One can recall many examples of cowardice: a friend did not stand up for a comrade because he was afraid of a fight; a person does not change a hated job, being afraid of losing stability; or a soldier fleeing the battlefield. Cowardice has many guises behind the rules.
Dante's Hell
Dante's guide to the underworld gives the classic description of cowards. In the very threshold of the Underworld, faceless souls crowded, once they were people struck by cowardice. These are indifferent onlookers at the feast of life, they knew neither glory nor shame, and the world should not remember them.
If a person, getting into a dangerous situation, thinks only about flight, while ignoring the voice of reason, he is struck by cowardice. Cowardice always chooses what is convenient and safe. Not solving the problem, but hiding from it - this is the basis on which the concept of cowardice is based.
Consequences
To hide from life's problems and decision-making, cowardice finds relaxation in recreational activities. Hiding behind a series of endless feasts, watching funny videos, cowardice constantly accumulates a number of unpleasant situations that require resolution. So what does cowardice lead to?
If it has already become a manifestation of personality, then you canit is safe to say that such a person is not capable of courage or selflessness. He becomes timid and timid, and his conscience is forever silenced. Only the insane do not experience fear. Avoiding danger is a smart thing to do, but running away from a specific problem is cowardly.
A coward will think ten thousand times before making a decision. His motto is: "No matter what happens." Following this principle, a person turns into a real egoist who does everything possible to hide from the threats of the outside world. Cowardice is closed in its loneliness, and the frightened ego, to which its own safety is most important, is ready to go to any meanness. This is how betrayal is born. Paired with cowardice, any human vice takes on an exaggerated form: a stupid one turns into an incorrigible dumbass, a deceitful one becomes a slanderer. This is what cowardice leads to.
Terrible vice
Most cowardly people are cruel. They bully the weak, thereby trying to hide their “shy illness” from the public. The coward splashes out the accumulated anger and resentment on the victim. Cowardice deprives a person of the ability to reason rationally. Brutal murders that even experienced forensic experts break into a cold sweat are most often committed under the influence of fear. That is why cowardice is the worst vice.
Because of their excessive fearfulness, a person can live a lifetime without knowing what he was capable of. Everyone has the potential to be a brave person, but by refusing to make decisions orperforming the necessary actions, a person gradually turns into a miserable coward. Fear is not a sin, it reveals human weaknesses that can be de alt with quite successfully, but cowardice is already a vice for which there is no excuse.
